


ichi-go ichi-e

by joonehunnit



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-08-08 06:58:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 20,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16424567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joonehunnit/pseuds/joonehunnit
Summary: "I want you to know I'll never leave you. Except for the one hour it takes to find your favourite pancake toppings in the supermarket. Breathe."It's once in a while, but every second spent apart feels like a lifetime.BoyxBoy | Joohyuk | If you find this on WattPad, don't worry it's my account!





	1. here

The boy couldn't stop fiddling with the collar of his shirt. He nervously looked into the mirror, lightly arranging his dark-brown fringe across his forehead. With a sigh, he turned away.

It was the same routine every day. Get up, get dressed and spend forty minutes looking into the mirror to make sure every detail was perfect- every wrinkle ironed away, although he wished he could do the same to those on his forehead.

Resisting the urge to look into the mirror one more time, he grabbed his leather satchel and padded across his too-small apartment, stopping by the door to slip on his AF1s. Maybe donning white shoes wasn't a good idea seeing as it might rain, but he didn't care, because today might finally be the day.

He took his house keys off the hook, letting his eyes linger on the Polaroid stuck by the side, a constant of reminder of what he yearned for. Two foreheads touching, a hand softly laid on the back of his head as the other's eyes gazed into his.

A caption scrawled onto the white space of the photograph and onto every inch of his memory-

"Always here, Jooheon."

The door slammed, throwing the apartment foyer into darkness once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! I started this ff a year ago for another band but I've decided to rewrite it for MX now. Enjoy xx


	2. my love

Satchel hanging from his shoulder and hands in his pockets, Jooheon walked on the streets of Seoul, following his mental map to the place he wanted to go. He darted into a side lane to avoid the throng of people crowding the main street on a Saturday morning. Heels hitting the pavement with abandon, he slowed down when spotted his destination- "Sohn's Art Supplies."

Not a very well-known store, Sohn's was nevertheless Jooheon's haven. Even on days that he didn't need art supplies, he would walk into the store and inhale the familiar scent of canvas, oil and turpentine, just to calm himself. Today, however, he was here to shop- his little studio back at home was dangerously short of supplies.

Heading straight for the oil paints rack, Jooheon picked up a few tubes of his favourite brand and threw them into his basket. He looked wistfully at the more expensive brands, but the thought of his dwindling savings made him walk past them. It's not that he was poor; he was left a small fortune when his favourite uncle passed away, but his income as an artist wasn't too much either. Which is why he had to scrimp on spending.

He threw some canvases into his basket, not bothering to check the size- Jooheon painted whatever he wanted on whatever size and whatever material- his art was unplanned and straight from his heart.

After grabbing a couple more things he needed, he lugged the overflowing basket to the counter and shot a smile at the owner's son who was manning the till. "Hey Shownu hyung," he greeted, said man returning the "hey" and proceeding to bill Jooheon's items. "How is your knee now?" Jooheon asked. "Better now, but I still need a couple more days till I hit the dance rooms again," Shownu replied.

While Shownu wasn't manning the store for his father, he was a dancer. Not an idol, but that didn't deny the absolute talent the man had- Jooheon had had the honour of watching Shownu sweep the floor with a street dancer during an underground battle and he had immense respect for the man. 

After gathering the bags, Jooheon bid farewell to his friend and walked back the way he came, revelling in the golden hour. The sun was just setting, throwing rays so beautiful against buildings that you'd swear they were made of gold. The weatherman was clearly wrong too- it didn't rain a drop.

He reached his apartment and buzzed himself in, taking the clanking lift to his floor while praying for the umpteenth time please universe don't let it crash today.

Reaching his door safely, he unlocked it and walked in, heading straight to the studio to squeeze the life out of his new supplies. As he opened the door however, a scent wafted over him and he froze.

It was all too familiar- musk with a hint of exotic, a combination he'd breathed in so many times now but couldn't name. And then the voice came- husky and rolling over his body in waves-

"My love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone, how is this ff progressing? I really suck at pacing but I hope you're enjoying it so far. Plus you're finally meeting my ulterior ship ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	3. beautiful

Jooheon ran blindly towards the voice, not even wincing when his toe struck the edge of his easel. He flung himself onto the owner of the voice, burying his face deep into the man's chest and suppressing a sob.

Strong but gentle fingers quickly made their way into his hair, another hand rubbing circles into the small of his back while holding his body close.

Jooheon calmed down, taking a deep breath and inhaling the wondrous scent of the man- fruit and musk danced a soothing slowdance with smells of places and times Jooheon had never seen.

The arms that had enveloped him pulled away, Jooheon missing the warmth already. The figure moved towards the light switch, clicking it to illuminate his person. Jooheon took in the silhouette under the dull bulb light, committing each line, each curve to memory. 

Brown, soft hair crowning thick eyebrows and flicking into beautiful almond shaped eyes while eyelids blinked unevenly. High cheek bones and lips set against bronzed skin, currently shadowed by a slender nose. 

A formal suit clothed the figure, although the tie was awry and shoes scuffed thanks to Jooheon's launched hug. The same gentle eyes appraised Jooheon as the latter took in the view, only moving to whisper one word,

"Minhyuk."

Said man smiled, all even teeth and crinkly eyes, creating butterflies in Jooheon's stomach. So much time had passed, yet he still felt the same. 

Minhyuk moved to take Jooheon's hand, and asked, "How have you been? Have you been sleeping well, eating well?" Jooheon smiled and nodded in response, pulling the older towards the pull-out bed so they could sit and talk.

Minhyuk stretched out on the bed, back against the headboard, and Jooheon quickly crawled next to him. He pulled off Minhyuk's coat, laying his head on the older's chest and revelling in the soft chuckle that his action elicited.

"Where did you go, Minhyuk? Tell me everything you saw." "Britain, 1958. It was surreal- cobblestoned streets and opulent architecture, ladies in corsets and plimsolls giggling while men passed them by on horse-drawn carriages... I wish you could see it, Heonnie. You would have painted it so beautifully with those fingers of yours."

As he spoke, Minhyuk played with the aforementioned fingers, a habit he could never drop, but one that Jooheon loved anyway. As he got more comfortable against Minhyuk's skinny torso, Jooheon felt something hard against his cheek.

He reached into Minhyuk's shirt pocket and gasped as he drew out a shell, beautiful and unblemished. "For you, from the beaches of Britain, to add to that silly little collection of yours," Minhyuk chuckled.

Jooheon flushed in embarrassment, but Minhyuk was only joking- he felt a wave of affection when he saw the collection by the windowsill.

Minhyuk had had a few forgotten bits from his "travels" in his pockets every time he came back, but when he noticed how religiously Jooheon collected each ticket stub or dry leaf, he began to bring back prettier, more meaningful trinkets for the younger to hoard.

Minhyuk snapped out of his musings when he heard the not-so-soft snores coming from somewhere near his chest. He slowly shifted Jooheon's head onto the pillow, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over his and Jooheon's bodies.

He looked down at the younger, brushing the hair from his forehead and leaving a soft kiss on the porcelain skin.

Holding Jooheon to his chest, Minhyuk closed his eyes, heart light and unburdened because he was home at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop comments I'm always soft™ For Joohyuk. If you wanna see what they look like in this fic-   
> Minhyuk https://goo.gl/images/wQpqCu   
> Jooheon https://goo.gl/images/HKVeLC


	4. panic

Sunshine was streaming through the window, rays highlighting the sleeping boy's face. Feeling the increasing heat, he shifted. Turning to the side, he reached out for the warmth of last night but his groping fingers were met with cold empty air.

Jooheon shot up, eyes widening and hands messing his hair in panic. Minhyuk was gone. "N-no way, can't have left! He's supposed to stay longer than this, he always stays longer than this!"

Scrambling to his feet, a panicked Jooheon ran to the attached bathroom, only to see that no one was there. His chest contracted, familiar signs of a panic attack already taking over his system. He stumbled, knocking his easel askew, freezing when a note fell off it. He picked the note up and read,

"Jooheonnie,  
I'm sure you panicked seeing I was gone. I want you to know I'll never leave you. Except for the one hour it takes to find your favourite pancake toppings at the supermarket. Breathe.  
Minhyuk."

Jooheon sighed in relief, silently berating himself for jumping to conclusions. He couldn't help it though- every time Minhyuk came back, Jooheon was scared he'd leave again and never come back.

Jooheon knew Minhyuk couldn't help it either; given a choice, he'd stay with Jooheon for the rest of his life but he physically couldn't.

It was a given from the start, ever since Jooheon found out that Minhyuk was a time traveller. 

With another sigh, Jooheon folded up the little note, slipping it into a piggy bank that Minhyuk had brought back from one of his "trips." A soft smile, punctuated by dimples, graced his beautiful face as he picked up an old, crumbling handkerchief with a vivid pattern on it, and he thought back to the day he had first met Minhyuk.

*flashback*

\- Jooheon, aged 6 -

Jooheon stumbled over a small stone, which wasn't surprising because on his feet were his father's shoes which were 10 sizes too big for him. He face planted into the sticky mud, white shirt now turning brown and black corduroy pants ruined. He pushed himself up while letting out a sob, trying pointlessly to wipe the mud off his tiny hands. His drawing had been ruined too- it now lay half submerged in a puddle.

Tears made tracks on his mud-caked face, and he looked around for help. Thoughts of his mother frowning in disappointment when she'd see his messy self only made him bawl harder. Through his sobs,however, he heard shoes slapping into the mud, and he quickly turned around, thinking it was his mother. "Mama, I-"

He broke off when he saw the person was in fact not his mother, but a tall stranger, who was currently squatting to look Jooheon in the eye with his hand held out.

Jooheon's eyes widened and he backed away slowly, only for the man to hold him gently by the arm, fish out a handkerchief with a weird snake pattern on it. He used the strange cloth to mop up Jooheon's face as the latter stood frozen, wary of stranger danger. The man then shifted to wipe off Jooheon's hands, as though this was perfectly normal.

Jooheon wanted to run, but he was a friendly child, and also very curious- he wanted to know why the man had a small clock hanging from his pocket on a string. "W-Why is that clock so small?" he asked timidly, earning a husky chuckle from the man. "It's not a clock, love, it's a pocket watch. I like it in my pocket instead of on my wrist, because time is mine to keep."

Jooheon did not know what he found stranger, the man's statement, or the small clock. The man then said, "But I see that your lovely drawing has been ruined by the water. Would you like some paper to draw it again?"

Jooheon was now certain that this man would do no harm to him, so he allowed himself to relax and grin toothily at the older, not caring that his incisor was missing. "Y-yes please. Would you like me to draw you?" he asked the man. Said man nodded, and sat patiently as Jooheon drew on the borrowed paper with his tongue poking out between his lips. 

When he finished after half an hour, he signed his name with a flourish (or what he thought was a flourish- he was after all a 6 year old with terrible handwriting) and handed it to the man.

The man reached out to collect it but Jooheon snatched it back, asking "Wait I have to write your name. What is it?" "Minhyuk," the man replied softly. Jooheon scrawled the name messily onto the paper, spelling it wrongly, and then handed it back with pride to Minhyuk, who smiled.

For the next hour, the two sat amicably, a frail little body next to a lithe, weathered one. They talked about everything under the stars, and Jooheon found answers to so many questions that he had wondered about.

Suddenly, the man glanced down at his hand, and sighed deeply. Turning to Jooheon, he said, "Jooheon-ah, I'm really sorry but I have to leave now." His heart grew heavy when he watched the younger's face fall, and then light up again when he asked, "Will you come back?"

 

"For you, I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) now you know what Minhyuk is!


	5. glowing

The door slammed, pulling Jooheon out of his reverie. From his seat at the window, he could hear the rustling of paper bags and a clatter as keys were put back on the hook. Jooheon stayed where he was, soaking in the sounds of domesticity that he had missed so much- the fridge opening and closing, plates clattering on the kitchen island, the sound of a spoon against a bowl, accompanied by Minhyuk's husky humming.

The smell of blueberry pancake batter, however, drew him out of his perch and into the kitchen. It's not that Jooheon couldn't buy food- he honestly couldn't care less, especially when he was deep in the middle of an art piece. He just ate whatever he wanted. Luckily, his body remained slightly muscled in all the right places and his thighs were muscular from years of football, but he wistfully remembered that that luck would disappear as he grew older.

He walked towards Minhyuk, wrapping his arms around the older's skinny waist and burying his face into his smooth back. Minhyuk smiled to himself, picking up the pace of pancake flipping, causing his shoulder bones to aggressively dig into Jooheon's face. Jooheon swatted at him, laughing, and went to sit at the island, not bothering to help Minhyuk because he'd be shooed away anyway.

Depositing the pancakes in front of Jooheon, Minhyuk bowed with a flourish, leaving Jooheon in a fit of giggles. As they subsided, silence fell, both boys concentrating on savouring their pancakes.

When they were done, Jooheon gathered up the plates and began washing them, as was his duty after Minhyuk cooked. "What are we doing today Heonnie?" Minhyuk asked from behind the newspaper. "I don't really have anything planned so if there's something you want to do let's do it," Jooheon responded. 

Minhyuk threw the paper down, eyes now shining. "Let's go shopping!" he screeched. Jooheon groaned. Minhyuk was mature and all, but when it came to shopping he went crazy. Jooheon half wished they made adult-sized child leashes, but sadly they didn't.

In half an hour the two were ready, Jooheon in his usual yellow hoodie and skinny jeans, and Minhyuk in his old man tweed suit, because the perks of time travelling was that you were stuck in the same clothes as the time you had travelled to. Fun. 

They head out of the apartment, Jooheon shyly slipping his hand into Minhyuk's slender one, making them both grin foolishly. So much time, but they still behaved like it was the first time. They strolled into the nearest mall, Minhyuk making a beeline for his favourite store, dragging a groaning Jooheon along.

Inside the store Minhyuk was a whirlwind, running from corner to corner and burying poor Jooheon under a large pile of clothes he had wanted to try on. They made their way to the changing room, an over-excited 24 year old and his personal mule.

The next 45 minutes were filled with "is this nice?" "yeah it's great," "but I don't like it much. How about this?" "yeah that's great too." "I don't like it. This shirt?" "No Min I don't like it much-," "I LOVE IT I'M GOING TO BUY THIS," "sigh."

They finally excited the shop, a harassed-looking Jooheon marching behind a shopping-bag laden Minhyuk. At the food court, Jooheon went to the first outlet he could find, ordering the first thing on the menu, scarfing it down before Minhyuk could say "slow down."

The guilty older slipped away for a bit, Jooheon too busy eating to notice. When he looked up though, he saw a huge slice of cake in Minhyuk's outstretched hand, and he squealed in delight. "Sorry for going bat shit crazy, Jooheon-ah," he said guiltily. Jooheon smiled in response, spooning the ice cream into his mouth and offering Minhyuk a bite.

As the two sat wrapped in their own personal bubble, the sky grew deeper and darker outside. Suddenly, Minhyuk felt his hand tingle. He looked down at it, saw the tell-tale glow, and knew exactly what was happening. Jooheon noticed it too, his smile sliding off his face and as fast as sorrow took its place.

They headed out quietly, entering a nearby park that was unpopulated enough to host what was going to happen next. Without a word, Minhyuk pulled Jooheon into his arms, taking in the sweet lemony scent in the crook of his neck, drawing calming circles on his back. Jooheon pulled back after a while, cupping Minhyuk's now glowing cheeks.

A sudden fit of daring overcame him, and he stood on his tiptoes, capturing the older's lips in a soft, chaste kiss. Jooheon didn't dare to utter anything out loud because he was holding back tears, so he let the kiss say everything he wanted to say- I'll miss you Minhyuk, stay safe, think of me, and please, come back to me.

It was as if Minhyuk understood everything- he pulled away and nodded understandingly at Jooheon. Kissing his forehead and looking into his eyes one last time, he whispered, "I'll come back," before turning and walking into the nearby thicket of trees. In a flash, he was gone.

Jooheon sighed. He didn't know what to do now. Loneliness rolled over him in waves, and a lone tear rolled down his cheek, still soft with baby fat. So much time, but I still can't get used to this.

He fiddled with his shirt hem for a bit, before deciding on what to do. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts before stopping at a certain name. He didn't usually do this, but he desperately needed a pick me up now, and this was all he could think of.

He clicked on the contact, holding the phone to his ear. After a few rings, a rumbling voice answered, a smile evident in their tone, "bro." 

Jooheon smiled a little.

"Hey Changkyun. Are you free right now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> longest chapter yet omgggggg,, also you've now been introduced to my ship and also sort of one of my fave friendships in MX so woot let's get this party started!


	6. new

Jooheon walked in through the gates of what could only be described as a mansion. The building was massive, with elaborate hedges and fountains decorating the front yard and a car in the driveway, just a Bentley, no big deal. 

The stately mansion was occupied by a just as un-stately friend of Jooheon's named Lim Changkyun- code name IM because he thought Changkyun was too nerdy and IM was far from it. Said friend threw open the ornate door with a bang as Jooheon entered the portico, a wide smile gracing his angular face and revealing slight dimples.

Changkyun launched himself on Jooheon, cackling as the latter tried unsuccessfully to peel his koala friend off his body.

Changkyun was, in his own words, "infected by the rainbow fever." In simple terms, he was as straight as a circle.

But him and Jooheon went back a long way, never once harbouring anything other than brotherly feelings for each other. Changkyun was just clingy by nature, contrary to his voice, and Jooheon was used to this by now.

After successfully untangling himself from Changkyun-whom he never called IM- Jooheon walked into the grand hall of the mansion, and the two headed straight to the first floor of the house.

If the interiors of the house were elegant, Changkyun's room was anything but- BigBang posters plastered every inch of the wall, and Taeyang's face grinned from a poster on the ceiling above his bed, positioned so Changkyun could "sleep and wake up to Taeyang's face".

"What's wrong?" asked Changkyun, plopping himself down on his bed and inviting Jooheon to sit beside him. "It's just... he's gone again," said Jooheon sadly.

Changkyun frowned. Jooheon hadn't told him that Minhyuk was a time traveller, so Changkyun only assumed that Minhyuk kept disappearing because of his business trips.

He had met Minhyuk once, and seeing his demeanour and outfit which screamed "$$$" Changkyun assumed Minhyuk was one rich dude- and Changkyun would know what a rich dude looked like.

"I don't know why you can't go with him, Joo. And frankly, I don't know why you're still with him. Like, he hasn't even asked you to be his boyfriend."

The words hit home- Jooheon always wondered why Minhyuk hadn't committed yet, despite having been "together" for so many years. They were way beyond friends now, but Minhyuk never seemed to broach the topic of the next step.

"I don't know why, Kyun. He really cares for me, and I like him so much that I would say yes instantly," Jooheon sighed. Changkyun's eyes softened- now wasn't the time to pick on his friend and his, well, "lover", and he knew Jooheon cared deeply. So he decided to change track.

"Say Jooheon, there's this really lit party tonight at a friend's place. Actually, in like half an hour. Care to tag along?" Changkyun asked. Jooheon shook his head, but the younger gave him the puppy dog eyes- only reserved for special occasions- and Jooheon had to give in.

Maybe it would help, and distract him from thoughts of Minhyuk.

✨

He was wrong. The second they pulled into the driveway of the party in Changkyun's flashy car, Jooheon wanted to turn right around and head straight home. The music was blaring, a tasteless mix of songs probably by a DJ who thought he was the shit but was actually just shit.

Bright laser lights made Jooheon blink furiously as they walked in, and everywhere he looked there were bodies gyrating, or drinking, or gyrating while drinking.

Changkyun instantly made his way to a group of friends, slapping shoulders and giving bro hugs. Jooheon felt uncomfortable, so he slunk away, knowing Changkyun would probably not notice. The younger was a good friend, but he was in his element. 

Jooheon went to the bar, which was empty save for one lanky dude with silver hair sipping on what looked like whiskey on the rocks. Jooheon didn't want to be too drunk, just tipsy enough, so he ordered a beer. He took a swig, looking around the room while he traced the rim of the bottle with his finger.

"What a shit fest, eh?" the lanky man had shifted into the seat next to Jooheon. The latter was taken aback, but relaxed slightly when he looked at the string bean's baby face. 

"Honestly, I'd rather not be here right now, but a friend dragged me and I couldn't say no." String Bean snorted, and replied, "isn't that everyone's story."

He held out a pale hand. "I'm Hyungwon. You are?" "Jooheon," the other replied, shaking his hand. "Where's that traitor friend of yours then?" Hyungwon pointed to Changkyun, who was now dancing with a strange dude on the dancefloor. Jooheon knew he'd be heading home on his own tonight. "He's cute," Hyungwon commented. "You like..." "as gay as they come."

Silence befell the two as they observed the absolute zoo that was the party. After a while, Hyungwon stood up, putting his now empty drink on the counter. "I'm heading out for a smoke, you wanna tag along?" Jooheon didn't have anything better to do, so tag along he did.

They both sat on the cool grass outside the house, Hyungwon pulling out a cigarette with a slender finger and lighting up. He offered one to Jooheon, who declined. The silence was broken by Hyungwon rustling in his pocket, pulling out his phone and opening the music app. "Let's listen to something better than this trash," he said, passing an earphone bud to Jooheon and pressing "play."

An EDM track came on and although it was a genre Jooheon had previously loathed, he had to admit this song was good. He looked at the song name- "Bam! Bam! Bam!" by H.One. 

He recognised this name. "This dude's really good," Jooheon commented. "I don't like EDM but this is really good. My friend Kyun keeps talking about him."

Jooheon was taken aback when Hyungwon suddenly flashed him a cheeky smile that didn't match his personality one bit. "I'm H.One. Well, it's my DJ name, I'm a DJ and producer," Hyungwon informed. 

Jooheon's eyes widened. "holy shit! Kyun's going to flip- he's the traitor friend you found cute by the way." Hyungwon smirked, stubbing his cigarette on the grass and flicking the end somewhere. "Cute and has good taste. Looks like I'll be giving him a call sometime." 

Jooheon gladly played wingman, giving Hyungwon Changkyun's number.

The younger got to his feet. "This party sucks, I think I'm going to head home now." Hyungwon nodded, and asked, "you need me to take you home or you'll be good on your own?" "I'll be fine, my apartment's not too far from here." "good, here's my number though, text me when you reach. And if you want to hang out some time- you look too lonely for your own good."

Jooheon smiled, adding Hyungwon's contact under the name "String Bean." He waved at the older, turning and walking out of the gate and towards his apartment. He opened a music app, looking up Hyungwon's song and playing it.

The night sky was clear, and Jooheon still missed Minhyuk, but he had made a new friend, and he felt good tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, hope you're liking how this is going! I've introduced most of MX now, only two to go :) Also just FYI Changkyun's a really good friend and didn't abandon Honey!!


	7. portrait

The next few days passed without a word from Minhyuk, which was a given. After the party, Jooheon had reached home safely, waking up to 7 texts from Changkyun saying that he was "sooooo sorry, but that dude was really hot, Joo!" He hadn't texted Hyungwon yet, but it seemed like he was the "hot guy" Changkyun was talking about. 

Despite his initial sadness, Jooheon had settled back into his old, solo routine. In the mornings he went to classes, as he was trying to get a certificate in English, just because he loved the language. He'd come back at 4 every day, and head straight to his studio to work on his new painting.

Usually, Jooheon painted abstracts, colours clashing and swirling into one another as they tumbled from the paint tubes as quickly as the idea tumbled out of the boy's mind. For the past few days, however, he had been making a portrait. Of Minhyuk, no less.

As he ploughed through the initial sketching process, Jooheon's appreciation for Minhyuk's beautiful face grew tenfold. He was drawing from memory and his memory was perfect- he knew every line, every curve and every slope of Minhyuk's face like he didn't know his own. He took his time drawing Minhyuk, smiling as memories flitted occasionally across his mind.

When he was through sketching, he took a break, stretching his limbs and yawning. Usually, he would have gone to get something to eat and watch a show on Netflix, but today he was in the mood to continue.

After walking to the kitchen to stretch his legs and grabbing an apple and some water, he returned to the studio and sat back down, prepared to ink in the outlines.

He painstakingly filled in colour after colour, outlining where required and giving life to shadows on Minhyuk's face. The sky grew darker outside but Jooheon remained plastered to his easel, furiously painting.

With a sudden flash of inspiration, he splattered green paint all over the background, drawing vines and leaves snaking around Minhyuk's now lifelike portrait.

Finally done, he stood back, shivering as Minhyuk's too-real eyes stared back at him from the canvas. His first portrait, and nothing would ever beat it.

"That is incredible."

Jooheon wheeled around, brandishing a palette knife in the direction of the voice, free hand groping for a light switch. A low chuckle came as the light turned on.

"You should really keep the light on Jooheon-ah, and lock your doors."

Jooheon gasped, taking in the terrible view.

 

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have nothing to say hehe


	8. bruised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: homophobia, physical abuse, slurs, swear words

The real-life version of the beautiful face he had painted only moments ago was bruised and battered, blood dripping from the hairline and right cheek. A bruise in the shape of a hand decorated Minhyuk's neck, purple and clotted.

Jooheon ran to him, stopping just short of his torso and craning his head to look at Minhyuk's beaten up face. He raised a shaky finger, gingerly trailing a bruise that looked almost healed, wincing and drawing back when he saw fresh blood leak out of another.

Silently, he pulled the older to the hall where there was better lighting, sat him down on the sofa and went to find a first aid kit. After rummaging through his bathroom closet he found it and ran back to fix Minhyuk's cuts.

He gently dabbed at the wounds with a rag soaked in water, moving methodically and ignoring Minhyuk's winces. He then shifted to putting on antibacterial ointment with a clean cotton ball, moving his way down from temple to jawline. As he looked at the bruises littering Minhyuk's sharp jawline, felt the hot breath fanning his face, a slow tear seeped out of his eye.

Immediately, a slender finger stopped the tear's path, wiping it away and proceeding to softly caress the younger's flushed cheek. Jooheon looked up at Minhyuk to see the latter watching him, eyes golden and soft with affection. He gave a small smile, feeling the knot in his chest loosen when Minhyuk smiled back.

Jooheon couldn't bear to look at the marks on Minhyuk's neck. He quickly finished with his ministrations, packed the first aid box quickly and returned it to the close, reminding himself to restock the spent supplies. Throwing the used cotton balls into the trash, he went back to Minhyuk, who was currently reclined on the couch, eyes drooping out of tiredness.

Without a word, Jooheon pulled the throw blanket onto Minhyuk, slipping inside himself and fitting his small body in the gap between the sofa back and the older's warm body. 

Minhyuk, feeling the movements, opened his eyes a sliver and threw his arm around Jooheon, pulling him closer to his chest and laying a soft kiss on his hair- hair that was once electric blue but had sobered into a beautiful brown. 

Jooheon's mind was whirring, churning out different reasons that would fit why Minhyuk looked the way he did. He didn't want to ask, but he wanted to know.

As if he read the younger's mind, Minhyuk said hoarsely, "I'll tell you, Jooheon-ah." He drew one arm behind his head and began talking despite the throbbing pain in his throat.

"I was in London, 1982. I was walking down a sidewalk when I felt eyes on me. I turned around, even though in hindsight I should've fucking run."

"They pulled me into an alley. Threw me down on the floor, they beat me up. With fists, even boots. They pulled my hands back every time I tried to shield my face, beating me harder. 'Gay fuck,' they called me. 'Faggot.' 'You don't deserve to live,' they said. They didn't touch my body. Said they didn't want to be 'infected'. Said they only wanted to 'decorate my pretty face' so everyone would know what I am. They said-"

Minhyuk broke off with a sob, tears seeping from his clenched eyelids. Jooheon looked up in alarm, scrambling upwards and enveloping Minhyuk's head into his chest, holding tightly. Minhyuk felt Jooheon's tears drop onto his hair, but he couldn't say anything in response.

He had never felt so disgusting. All his life he walked quietly, with his head high, minding his own business, helping when he needed to. He had never questioned what he was, simply embraced it but didn't flaunt it. 

When he met Jooheon a few years after their first visit, he knew he wasn't alone. He knew it was normal now, for boys to like boys and girls to like girls.

Those men made him feel otherwise. He didn't want to be alive.

Jooheon sensed the older's pain and just held him quietly until the tears subsided and his body no longer shook. He released Minhyuk, moving instead to take his bruised, still-soft face in his smaller hands.

"Minhyuk. Never be ashamed of what you are. the previous century was crazy homophobic, but you don't have to worry now. We've been accepted, Minhyukkie. We're alright. You're alright. You have me. You'll always have me."

Minhyuk's whimpers slowly died down, and he buried his head into Jooheon's chest. He was older, mature, but there were times like this when he became what he actually was- a small, vulnerable 24-year-old who didn't belong to a time or a place, always drifting.

He belonged to a person, though. He belonged to Jooheon, and he had to show it. Soon.


	9. portrait

_Time skip: 4 weeks_

Once again, Jooheon was alone. Minhyuk had begun glowing again the morning after and disappeared after planting a soft kiss on Jooheon's trembling lips. The younger was scared out of his mind- he didn't want Minhyuk disappearing before he could even heal. But Minhyuk had assured him that his time traveller powers also involved quick healing so he'd be fine.

Minhyuk had put on a brave face, but as he turned away from a half-crying Jooheon, he was trying just as hard not to tear up- not because he was leaving Jooheon, but because he was so emotionally scarred by what had happened to him the day before. But he had to go, and so he went.

It's hard to be the one who stays, Jooheon knew too well by now. He studied and worked and painted until he was exhausted to the point of passing out, only because he felt empty when Minhyuk wasn't around.

And when he didn't have anything to do, he would take long walks, camera swinging from around his neck, stopping now and then to capture signs of a changing season.

It was now autumn. Dry leaves littered the streets, crunching under booted feet that walked quickly by, braving the incoming cold. Jooheon listlessly trudged back and forth, class to home, home to class.

Minhyuk had never been gone for this long.

One evening, when it was particularly dull, Jooheon padded softly to his room, fishing around underneath his mattress until his hand fell on what he was looking for. A worn photo album, one that he hadn't opened for a long time because Minhyuk almost always came back.

But this time, he felt a strange sadness, a foreshadowing of sorts, he felt, and that drove him to dig up the album and revel in old times because he was scared of the future.

He flipped through the pages slowly, paying mind to the vintage pages that definitely needed restoration. He hadn't the heart to transfer the photos to a new modern album though, because this too was a gift from Minhyuk- its thin pages still smelt of old Seoul and repeated to Jooheon each time, what Minhyuk had said while giving this to him- "Use this to record memories of the world, Jooheon-ah. Time is flying and it won't stop, so hang on to every passing moment and remember it as you remember me."

And so Jooheon pasted photos of his world- _Minhyuk Minhyuk Minhyuk_.

As he flipped another page, Jooheon froze- there were sounds coming from downstairs. Minhyuk? All the care he had taken with the album flew out the window as he shot out of the room, book tumbling onto the floor. He dashed through the hallway and skidded to a stop when he saw it really was Minhyuk.

But he wasn't alone.

 

"Hi," came the voice from the female figure standing in front of a stunned Jooheon. "I'm Iseul..."

 

"... Minhyuk's wife."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp  
> also lovelies, I've started a new ff on AO3 called 'click', it's Changki so I'd love to see you on there too!! Thank you so much for the kudos and the comments you've all left so far, I cry ;_;


	10. gone

" _his what_?"

Jooheon's eyes swung from the confused woman's face to Minhyuk, who wasn't meeting the younger's eyes.

"Minhyuk. Your what?"

"My wife, Joo. I can explain-"

"There's no need to. It's all crystal clear now.”

Jooheon turned around, partly in anger and partly to avoid Minhyuk seeing his trembling lips. He knew this was coming.

It was inevitable, really. Minhyuk spent days, weeks, in different countries and different times. Jooheon was stupid to think he was the only one. Stupid.

Ignoring Minhyuk's weak calls, he stumbled into his studio, locking the door behind him and slumping almost immediately against the frame. He could hear the woman talking softly to Minhyuk, and he wished she would just stop and leave. Permanently. But he listened- he wanted to see what Minhyuk had to say.

But he had nothing to say, apparently- Jooheon heard receding footsteps, two pairs, and finally, the front door softly clicked into place.

Numb, Jooheon unlocked his studio door and looked outside. The rest of the apartment was quiet, the only reminder of Minhyuk being a soft trace of his perfume. And a note.

Shivering slightly- the small apartment felt even colder than usual- Jooheon picked up the note on the kitchen island, fiddling absently with a strange-looking crystal next to it:

" _Jooheon-ah,_

_I know you're upset- you have every right to be. But I ask you, this one time, to trust me. I've never kept anything from you unless I really had to- and I really had to._

_I'll come back, Joo, I'll explain. Lock up tight and stay warm._

_Keep the stone- it's rose quartz. Look it up. It means a lot._

_Yours,_

_Minhyukkie._ "

Jooheon snorted, wiping his face messily with the sleeve of his oversize hoodie- a gift from Minhyuk. Crumpling the note up, he chucked it into the bin, along with the crystal. _I don't care what it means because it won't bring you back._  

Not wanting to be in the same room as his portrait of Minhyuk- _so breathtaking_ \- he pulls a blanket out of the linen closet and settles into the sofa, firing up Netflix on his laptop.

Somewhere between the scenes of Titanic and thinking “ _there was room for two on that door!!_ ”, Jooheon's eyes blur and swim and eventually close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys i’m so sorry about the late update, i’ve been ill and also AO3 wasn’t loading?? but anyway i’ll post another update for you all today since this was pretty short! Also since Jooheon was too pissed to look for what a rose quartz symbolises, it’s “unconditional love” :)


	11. H.ONE

A loud crash sounded in Jooheon's head, jolting him awake.  _What the_ -

"HOSEOK I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFUL I SWEAR TO GOD I WI- oh hey Jooheon, you up?"

Jooheon fumbled around for his glasses, finally putting them on to see two boys in his kitchen- a purple-haired short boy and a muscular, sheepish looking one with half a mug in his hand. 

"Hey Joo, sorry about the mug," said Hoseok.

"That's fine- Kihyun hyung what are you doing in my house and how did you get in?"

The grape-haired boy looked indignant. "Why are you asking just me, is Hoseok allowed to waltz into your house anytime he wants?"

"Keep your hair on, pocket demon, we're neighbours," said Hoseok good-naturedly, expertly dodging Kihyun's smack. 

As they bickered, Jooheon got to his feet unsteadily, body aching from sleeping on the uncomfortable couch all night. He winced, and Kihyun shot him a concerned look from where he was sandwiched in Hoseok's headlock. 

"Everything okay, Jooheon? You don't look very good. And what was last night about?" He asked. 

"W-What do you mean?"

"Well, you texted me and muscle pig here -OW- saying that you were 'so so alone'. So we swung by earlier today and Hoseok stole your key from under the mat. What's wrong, is it Minhyuk? I swear if that runt did anything to you- HOSEOK LET ME GO- I will kill hi-"

"He's married."

A deathly silence fell over the room, a dumbstruck Kihyun looking at Jooheon while choking an equally stunned Hoseok. 

Both boys hurried over, ushering Jooheon back onto the uncomfortable sofa and looking at him worriedly. "what're you talking about?" Hoseok asked finally. 

"What I just said." "But how did you find out?" "He brought her home hyung."

Kihyun furrowed his brows angrily as Hoseok worried away at his lips. "She introduced herself to you? As his wife? Of all the- why I ought to- what're you going to do?"

Jooheon sunk into the sofa, trying to shrink as much as he could, away from Kihyun's questions and Hoseok's concern. 

Hoseok understood. "Kihyun I don't think he knows what to do, leave it. Let's get his mind off things."

Ignoring Kihyun's sputters of protest, Hoseok asked, "Do you have plans today Jooheon?"

"I did," Jooheon began, "but Minhyuk-"

"I get it I get it," Hoseok said hurriedly. "If you're free, do you want to go meet a friend of Kihyun's with us? He makes music, I think you may enjoy it."

Jooheon shrugged. He didn't want to go, but he didn't want to stay either, and his hyungs were good people. He went to brush his teeth, pointedly ignoring the blue toothbrush next to his-  _it's midnight blue Jooheonnie, there's a difference_ \- and threw on his usual hoodie and ripped jeans.

He could hear Wonho exclaiming that there was a crystal in the dustbin and if he could please take it, so Jooheon yelled, "Yes!" back without hesitation. If Minhyuk wanted to come back, it wouldn't be the crystal bringing him anyway. Who cares that it stands for "unconditional love"? (Yes, in between the scenes of the Titanic, Jooheon had Googled the meaning behind the stone and laughed out so loud he choked.)

After slipping on their shoes at the door, the trio headed out into the 11 AM sunshine, the crisp cold air making Jooheon feel slightly better. 

"Who is this person?" He asked Kihyun, who only said, "you'll see."

The three walked companionably, Kihyun slightly ahead of the other two because he was leading the way. They turned onto a street only a few minutes into the walk, and entered a massive, almost rundown building that gave Jooheon the creeps.

"Errr hyung I wanted a pick-me-up but this isn't what I had in mind..." Jooheon trailed off, earning a chuckle from Kihyun. The latter simply entered the building, beckoning to the two. 

They stopped by a weird zinc door with a rusted padlock on it, Hoseok looking just as nervous as Jooheon felt. But when Kihyun pushed the door open, their jaws dropped at once. 

"H.ONE STUDIO?!"

* * *

 

At Jooheon’s and Hoseok's outburst, a man with silver hair whipped around and grinned widely.

"Hey Kihyun, it's been a while," Hyungwon said excitedly, weaving through his studio to hug the smaller boy. "And who are these two?"

"Hey Won. This is Hoseok and this is Jooheon, buds of mine who had nothing to do so I thought I'd bring them along."

Hyungwon looked at Jooheon, fuzzily remembering him from somewhere. "Hey, weren't you at that party and we had a smoke outside on the lawn?”

Kihyun snorted. "If it was a party then it definitely wasn't him." "I went with Changkyun, Kihyun." "... Well shit maybe it was you," Kihyun laughed.

All this while, Hoseok hadn't said a word- it was very hard to when Hyungwon kept flicking his hair out of his eyes so mesmerizingly.

The DJ grinned at the newcomers and gestured at his studio. "Welcome to H.ONE Studio, where the magic happens when I'm not sleeping. Want a tour?" 

The four of them walked around, Hyungwon explaining his equipment proudly and Hoseok hanging on to every word.

After the tour, they sat down at the studio, and the rest of the day flew by while they talked about music, teased Hoseok about ramyun and took digs at Kihyun's height.

After eating their leftovers for an early dinner, they went out into the crisp night to a nearby drinks tent, because by then the four had already become close enough to spill each other's secrets.

What secrets they spilt, we don't know, but by the end of the night Jooheon was feeling ten times lighter, Kihyun was drunk and almost out and Hoseok was blushing furiously as Hyungwon gave him his full attention.

"You know, Hoseok, I know so much about you now but I don't have your number." Hoseok snorted, "what do you want my number for?" 

Hyungwon smiled, moving to softly brush Hoseok's hair out of his eyes. "I might just want to see you again."

Hoseok blushed more, quietly taking Hyungwon's proffered phone and punching in his digits, down to the last right number. He saved it as "Shin Hoseok" but Hyungwon gave him a sweet smile before changing the contact name to "Beautiful". If Hoseok wasn't whipped earlier, he sure as hell was now.

"And you," Hyungwon said, turning to look at Jooheon, "You seem like you're upset and I don't want to ask you why but I like you so I'm worried. Text me, we can hang out too."

"I'm sure you need a break from small-fry here, anyway," he drawled, wincing when Kihyun thwacked his skinny arm with brute force.

Jooheon smiled appreciatively- he found the DJ sweet and honest, not to mention very cute. Plus, they'd all had a good night together. He didn't think he would tell him what happened though. He didn't want to think about it.

As the tent began to clear out, the boys decided to leave. Jooheon hoisted a terribly drunk Kihyun across his shoulders, the latter screaming about making a group chat and naming it "the foursketeers".

He could have gone home with Hoseok, but Hyungwon offered to drop the older home, just to spend some more time with him. Hoseok had accepted, wondering all the while what was happening to him- _he went to the gym, so why was he so soft inside_?

After dropping a now-silent Kihyun off, Jooheon walked back up the street to his apartment, happily buzzed and mind blank. As he punched the code in, he suddenly saw a pair of shoes outside his door.

His heart dropped to the pits of his stomach when he realized the shoes were a man’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an extra long chapter because you deserve it for being so nice to me ;_; do forgive me if there are any errors, I've been swamped at work and haven't had time to proofread!


	12. paradox

Jooheon froze outside the front door, not knowing whether to go in or back out quietly. He realised then that the sound of the code would’ve drawn attention anyway, so with a heavy sigh he opened the door and went in.

Minhyuk stood up from the sofa, face impassive but shaky hands giving away the anxiety he was feeling. He didn’t know whether to go up to Jooheon or stay back, so he compensated by taking two steps and stopping awkwardly.

Jooheon crossed his arms, waiting for the other to speak, and finally,

“Hey, Joo bear.” Jooheon’s insides twisted at the familiar nickname but he didn’t react. “Please let me explain. It’s not what you think.”

“Then explain. You have 60 seconds,” Jooheon said, slumping onto the nearby couch and glaring at Minhyuk.

The latter hurriedly began to explain, tripping over his words and scrambling to get closer to Jooheon.

“The timeline is messed up, Joo, this wasn’t supposed to happen. I thought I was the only one but I’m not and now I’m married and the lines are squiggly and I don’t know-“ he stopped when Jooheon held up a hand. 

“I’m not a time traveller Minhyuk, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Minhyuk calmed down a bit, seeing that Jooheon was paying attention, and began: “So you know that I can travel to certain points in time but I don’t change anything because it could cause a paradox right?” Jooheon nodded, now leaning forward unconsciously.

“Well it turns out that I’m not the only one travelling through time. Someone’s travelling too, and they know about me and they’ve messed up my timeline, Jooheon. They’ve added things that weren’t previously there in my personal timeline- I would know, I’ve seen it again and again- and they’ve just gone and added a wife, Jooheon. She thinks it's real- she doesn't know what I am and she thinks I'm really her husband even though I'd never seen her, and she insisted on coming here to see my "friend".

"I can’t even begin to imagine what else this new time traveller can do to me. And that’s not even the worst part.” Minhyuk pulled at his hair, utterly perplexed and scared of a future that was unknown to him for the first time.

“What? What is the worst part? Minhyuk what is the worst part?!” Jooheon demanded, sliding onto the floor and pulling Minhyuk’s face out of his palms.

“As easily as they added a wife, they can remove you.”

* * *

 

The tiny apartment was silent, illuminated only by a glowing bulb in the corner. Minhyuk sat on one end of the sofa, the light throwing into relief his face and Jooheon's, who was asleep on his lap. 

After Minhyuk's outburst earlier, Jooheon had been surprisingly- _scarily_ -calm. He had quickly gone into the kitchen and whipped up instant noodle soup for the other boy, who was shivering for no apparent reason. 

After they'd drunk their soup, Jooheon told Minhyuk about his day, hoping to distract him. Minhyuk asked all the right questions, hoping to get distracted. He smiled as Jooheon told him about his friends and Hyungwon, and reminded himself to send some good food to Kihyun and Hoseok as a thank you for watching over Jooheon.

After a while, Jooheon drifted off to sleep, head nestled in Minhyuk's lap and legs stretched out over the arm of the tiny sofa. 

Minhyuk knew he hurt Jooheon every time he left. He didn't want to, but in this one aspect of life, he wanted to be selfish. He had been nothing before he met the now brown-haired boy and even now he felt like he was nothing, but for the first time in his life he had something he couldn't bear to lose. 

He remembered how Jooheon had stumbled upon him at the worst time. 

***flashback***

_Minhyuk, 24; Jooheon, 17_

Minhyuk walked out of the club, saluted by two massive bouncers who also noted that Minhyuk was trashed but hid it pretty decently. 

Leaving the Blue Diamond's flashing sign behind, Minhyuk kept a steady pace and entered a dark alley, stopping at a corner to pull out a shard of glass from beneath his expensive jacket.

He brought the shard up to eye level, regarding the face that looked back at him impassively. The boy was blessed with looks- looks that could kill, that could get him anything he wanted, that attracted people of all genders and orientations. It helped that he never aged- youth was always on his side.

Bringing the shard back down, he placed the edge against his wrist instead. 

He wasn't depressed, he wasn't a coward- this was calculative, a decision he had to make to ensure that life and time continued on as it was, undisturbed. He was born to do the things he did, and this was the last thing he had to do. 

Although his body was overrun with alcohol, his mind was clear- Minhyuk knew exactly what he was going to do and every step of it was calculated- or so he thought. 

"Hey! Expensive dude!" a voice yelled out from the other end of the alley. Minhyuk cursed softly, flinging the shard quickly to the side and eyeing the figure now approaching him. 

The boy, who had flaming blue hair, narrowed his eyes, obviously having noticed what Minhyuk was about to do. "I know what you're going to do and I advise you not to do it here- I hang out here a lot and I don't want to be framed for murder anytime soon, thanks."

Minhyuk snorted-  _the sass of this boy_. "It shouldn't matter to you, kid. I'll make it quick and clean. Run along, now."

But "run along" he didn't- the boy actually came closer.  _What in the_ \- "Hey, do I know you?" the boy asked.

Minhyuk took in his appearance- baby face, yellow hoodie, distressed jeans with what looked like paint splatters on them, and a lit cigarette hanging limply from his right hand. 

"I don't think so. I think I'm going to listen to you and leave now." Minhyuk turned to exit the alley, but jerked to a stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around.

The boy was staring at him, previously narrowed eyes now wide open with shock and- recognition?

"Minhyuk." he breathed. 

Said man was weirded out now. "Wait- do you actually know me? How do you know my name?"  _Well he knows it now, you fool, you just confirmed it_. 

"Minhyuk- don't you remember me? It's Jooheon! Small kid, tooth missing, drew a picture of you after falling into a puddle?" Minhyuk froze. Was it really him?

He reached inside his other jacket pocket, and pulled out a faded piece of paper and confusedly gave it to Jooheon, who nearly burst in excitement. 

"You still have it! I made this, do you not remember me? You even gave me your handkerchief, with a snake pattern on it." Jooheon smiled, and the dimples that graced his face instantly reminded Minhyuk of that fateful day. 

Minhyuk finally smiled, running his hand through his hair, nodding at Jooheon. "I remember you, I do. Wow, you've really grown." "And you haven't changed a bit!" Jooheon replied. 

Minhyuk's smile turned bittersweet- what a time for Jooheon to appear in front of him again. "It was good seeing you again, kid. I've got to go now- there's something I need to do."

Jooheon's smile vanished, replaced by something close to disappointment and sadness. "No wait, before you go- do you want to grab a drink or two?" he mumbled, almost to himself, but Minhyuk caught it. 

The latter sighed, ruffling his hair once again. Then he nodded, grabbing Jooheon by the hand and leading him towards the club he had just come out of. 

***end of flashback***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it wasn't glaringly obvious already- I'm soft as heck for Honeypup. 
> 
> Also I'm swamped at work so I might not update as often I'd like to, so please don't mind, I promise when the updates come, they'll be good ones ;_;


	13. library

The next morning was quiet. Weak winter sunlight filtered through the curtains of the apartment, warming a paper on the table cramped with Jooheon's artistically messy handwriting.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Minhyuk woke up, immediately sensing the missing weight in his lap that was there all night. He sat up straight, one glance around the too-small apartment telling him Jooheon wasn't here. 

He walked to the table and, spying Jooheon's note, sat down with a slice of bread in hand.

_"Minhyukkie,_

_I have to do some research at the library for my English class. Be back soon,_

_Joo."_

Minhyuk chuckled softly- people thought writing notes was old-fashioned but he didn't have a phone for obvious reasons and Jooheon was a romantic at heart, so it worked out perfectly for the two of them. Plus, the younger had used nicknames, which meant he wasn't angry anymore.  _What a relief._   

After polishing off two more bread slices, Minhyuk went to shower, slathering himself with Jooheon's favourite lemon body wash and then lotion. He pulled out a decent pair of jeans and a white t-shirt from his side of the wardrobe and put them on, finally feeling like he fit in with the times.

Knowing Jooheon would be quite a while at the library, Minhyuk exited the apartment, taking the goddamn clanking lift to the ground floor safely. He knew of an amazing bakery nearby that sold pastries, so he decided to get some for Hoseok and Kihyun.

The girl at the counter smiled at him as he entered the store, doorbell merrily tinkling behind him. He quickly picked out his favourite pastries, then added two more as an afterthought, because Jooheon would probably forget to eat at the library. After paying with a wad of cash- no credit card again for obvious reasons- he took the bill on which the salesgirl had not-so-subtly written her number.

He smiled politely at her eager face and stepped out, throwing the bill with the phone number into the trashcan on the sidewalk when the girl had looked away. 

Minhyuk 'swung the other way' for the longest time, even though he didn't know it himself for most of that time. He had just convinced himself that the girls who threw themselves on him just weren't that pretty and that the boys these days were getting more attractive in general.

He walked to Kihyun's house first, hoping the boy was in. He was. After opening the door and yelping at the sight of Minhyuk, whom he hadn't seen in months, Kihyun ushered Minhyuk in and plonked himself down on a pristine white couch. 

"What brings you here? And where have you been all this while, you nearly broke Jooheon a few days ago," Kihyun said, getting straight to the point.

Minhyuk appreciated the boy's refreshing honesty, always. He handed one box of the pastries to Kihyun, watching the latter break into a cute smile. "That's why I'm here, to apologise for hurting your friend and to thank you for looking after him again."

"If this is your way of softening me up, then it sort of works," Kihyun laughed. "But what is this about some girl? Wasn't Jooheon  _the one for you_  and all that sappy shit?"

Minhyuk said nothing for a while, and Kihyun sighed, raking his fingers through his purple hair. "Look if this is one of those things that you can't tell me, that's fine, I get it. But please, explain it to Jooheon. You owe him."

Minhyuk knew that- he knew it too well. He wanted to tell Kihyun everything, but simply said, "I've talked to him. We're okay now, he's at the library for the day."

Kihyun's face visibly brightened. "Well in that case I don't have to feel guilty about eating these," he said, getting plates and forks to share the pastries with Minhyuk- his motherly instincts were never over-ridden, Minhyuk learnt.

After a good half an hour of random talking, and discussing Jooheon's favourite art shop that Kihyun wanted to go to soon, the latter sobered up. "Minhyuk you know, this isn't any of my business but its been eating away at me so I must ask- why haven't you asked Jooheon to date you yet?"

Minhyuk grew uncomfortable. It's not like he hadn't thought about it- on the contrary, he thought about it every waking minute, what it would be like to claim Jooheon as his own, take things a step further. But every time he went to do it, he held back, because-

"Is this because of Jia Er?" Kihyun asked softly. Minhyuk nodded, not trusting himself to say another word. 

"He's gone, Minhyuk. Joo sees you differently, he knows he can trust you. He knows you won't... do what Jia Er did," Kihyun finished, patting Minhyuk's knee.

"I know," the other responded, almost desperately. "It's been a long time since that happened. I just don't want it to bring any memories back. I can't hurt him anymore than I do right now."

Kihyun smiled understandingly, saying, "you'll figure it out. You always do." 

After giving the shorter boy a quick hug, Minhyuk made his way out of the house and began walking back towards Jooheon's-and Hoseok's apartment. It was a bit chilly, but the brisk walking helped. 

Maybe Kihyun was right, Minhyuk thought. It had been a while and he basically lived at Jooheon's house so maybe, just maybe, Jooheon trusted him enough.

He decided he'd do it tonight.

After stopping by Hoseok's flat and making him blush furiously with questions about Hyungwon, Minhyuk happily headed back to Jooheon's apartment- he couldn't call it his own, because Jooheon wouldn't allow him to pay half of the rent no matter how much he begged. In his left hand was the rose quartz he'd given to Jooheon yesterday- Minhyuk knew the younger boy would've tossed it in anger and was grateful to Hoseok for keeping it.

He punched in the code to the flat and unlocked the door, noting immediately that Jooheon was back and sitting at the table.

"Hey", Minhyuk said, wrapping his arms around the younger's neck and resting his cheek on his head. "Did you get you work done?"

"Yeah, I did. I learnt a lot," Jooheon said in a strange tone. Minhyuk didn't think much of it, assuming the younger was exhausted. He went to put the remaining pastries in the fridge and freshen up, not noticing the sheen of tears in Jooheon's eyes. 

Jooheon looked at the notes he'd furiously made in the library, with its scratches and underlines and general messiness. He hadn't shown much of a reaction to Minhyuk's story last night because he didn't know what to do.

He did now. 

Minhyuk came back from the bathroom to see Jooheon already curled up in his blankets in his studio. "Asleep already?" he said, crawling onto the bed and hugging the younger's head. The boy nodded, pretending he was very sleepy. He wasn't, but he didn't feel up to a conversation. Minhyuk noticed, but didn't push it and simply lay down comfortably, spooning the younger boy until he actually fell asleep.

Minhyuk had an important question to ask Jooheon, but it could wait until tomorrow. They had an eternity together, anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heck this chapter was a bit of a rollercoaster just like the last one. What do you think Jooheon read up on in the library? Do you think that maybe, just maybe, shit's about to go down? Also ANYONE RECOGNISE JIA ER?? brownie points if you do hehe


	14. butter knife

When Minhyuk woke up, the other side of the bed was cold. Normally he wouldn't have cared, but today he did. It was a Sunday.

_So where was Jooheon?_

A glance at the foyer showed no AF1s, which meant the younger boy had gone out. Minhyuk was puzzled- there was no reason for him to go out unless he was getting breakfast, and that definitely wasn't the case because they were going to make pancakes again today. 

Something was wrong.

Minhyuk quickly threw on last night's jeans and t-shirt, scrambling to slip on his shoes while simultaneously reaching for the door, which opened before he could touch the handle. 

On the other side, Jooheon stared in shock for a split second, then let out an ear-splitting yell, dropping his groceries. 

"Who the fuck are you and how did you get inside my house?!" he yelled, patting himself frantically in search of his phone to call the cops. 

Minhyuk smiled. "Another joke Jooheon? Really funny," he said, reaching for the younger boy, who back-pedalled in shock.

"How do you know my name? Who even are you? HOSEOK HYUNG," Jooheon screamed, giving up on his phone, which lay on the floor a few metres away.

Minhyuk's smile slid off his face like stinksap. "Wait- what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What are  _you_  doing? In my house?!" A door slammed in the footsteps, heavy footsteps introducing Hoseok, who took in the situation with wide-open eyes and a butter knife in hand. 

Hoseok quickly pulled Jooheon to his feet, swinging his butter knife at a bewildered Minhyuk.

"Hoseok, what's going on?" Minhyuk exclaimed. Said boy froze for a second before coming in between Minhyuk and Jooheon, butter knife seriously in danger of cutting one of them. 

"Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my friend's house? I won't hesitate to cut you so you better scarper. Joo, go to my flat and call the cops." Hoseok ordered, pushing Jooheon back. 

At this point, Minhyuk was well and truly scared. The other time traveller- had he done this?

"Wait- please don't call the cops. I just need to ask you one thing. Hear me out," he said, the sentence sounding oddly familiar.

"You have 60 seconds," Jooheon replied, unknowingly echoing a previous argument- an argument he wouldn't remember, Minhyuk realised. 

"Jooheon- what was the last thing you painted?" Minhyuk begged, hoping to hear Jooheon say "your portrait"- 

"A ship. What's it to you?" Jooheon said coldly. Minhyuk's heart stopped. So it had happened. Jooheon had been erased from his timeline. 

Holding back tears, he mumbled a quick "you won't see me again" to Jooheon, and brushed past the younger and Hoseok, who was still standing with his damn butter knife held aloft. 

Minhyuk ran down the stairs and to the dark alley next to the building, allowing the sudden glow on his hands to overtake his whole body, and disappeared.

Back upstairs, Jooheon calmed his racing heart and picked up the fallen groceries while convincing Hoseok that he would be fine and that he would explain later.

After the older boy left, Jooheon entered his apartment, shutting the door only to slide down against it, body shaking with painfully suppressed sobs. 

In the corner of the tiny kitchen, thrown haphazardly next to the trashcan, was Minhyuk's portrait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... I have nothing to say except sorry for breaking your hearts


	15. the great gatsby

After a big fat crying jag, Jooheon finally got off the floor and onto his feet, making his way to the kitchen island.

Dropping his groceries down without bothering to sort them out, he shuffled to the drawers on the side, still sniffling and looking pitiful. The first drawer had art supplies which Minhyuk never touched because he didn't want to lose any. Jooheon lifted up the tray of paints and gathered the sheaf of notes under it, putting the tray back in place but not bothering to close the drawer even though he knew he'd definitely burst a kidney or something against it later. He had burst his arm open on it once, and that caused a scene he didn't want to remember right now. 

He plopped down on the carpet, legs splayed out and slightly bent in his favourite childhood position, and he began to shuffle through the notes. 

He picked up one sheet that read: 

  * _possible to change the timeline._
  * _add/remove? to balance it out._
  * _who can go? Gartner 1982 said 'significant other'. not defined- is it friend, boyfriend, partner? any tests?_
  * _try by removing self_



Jooheon didn't know if this would work. Heck, he didn't even know if he did it right, but at this point, he had to try, because of what he learnt at the library- that if Minhyuk's timeline was out of balance, he would be stuck in limbo between times, not able to come back to any place.

And Jooheon didn't want Minhyuk stuck. Even if that meant the time traveller could never return to his real home. Here.

Jooheon sniffled, rubbing his nose on his already filthy hoodie. He really needed to chuck this in the wash. He got unsteadily to his feet, walking to the bathroom while pulling the hoodie off and throwing it into the laundry hamper. 

He got in the shower, allowing himself to enjoy the piping hot water, to lean against the wall and close his eyes and think of anything but the lie he had just fabricated, the lie that left Minhyuk in tears.

After a good 20 minutes, he got out of the bath, wrapping his now-pruny body with the softest towel he could find. At the same time, his cell phone began ringing. He didn't expect it to be Minhyuk- time travel didn't allow you to have a phone and even if Minhyuk wanted to talk to him, he definitely wouldn't be able to figure out how to use a payphone.

It was Kihyun- Jooheon found it strange but also sweet how quickly the older boy detected changes in Jooheon's mood. That and Hoseok must have tattled on him.

He put his phone to his ear while trying to pull on a pair of clean pants. "Yeah hyung?" "Jooheon, I want to go to that art shop, are they open on Sundays?" 

"Not usually," Jooheon said, head craned to trap the cellphone between ear and shoulder, "but I can call up Shownu hyung and ask him if we could swing by if he's not busy."

Kihyun hummed in agreement, telling Jooheon he'll see him by the cafe near the shop if it would be open and hanging up. Jooheon slipped into a nice grey t-shirt and threw on a bomber jacket just in case it was cold outside. It wasn't winter yet, but he could feel the chill setting in, which meant his favourite season was right around the corner.

He knew Shownu would open the shop for an hour or so if he really needed to go since the older lived just above the shop. He texted him anyway, asking him if they could swing by after lunch, and pat came the affirmation from Shownu.

Jooheon let Kihyun know and headed out, not bothering to eat anything because he wasn't hungry. He felt a sense of calm overcoming him, though, which was usual when he was going to meet Shownu- the older boy's peaceful nature touched anyone who knew him.

Jooheon met Kihyun at the end of the street and they walked together towards the art shop. True to his word, Shownu was sitting on the front steps with his keys jangling, waiting to open the front door. He smiled when he saw the two and got up to hug Jooheon, and then looked questioningly at Kihyun, who was so small compared to the other that it was almost comical. 

"Hi I'm Shownu," he said steadily, holding out his hand to Kihyun and flashing his characteristic dad smile. Kihyun smiled back, a bit overwhelmed and shook his hand, half-whispering a "hi I'm Kihyun" back. 

Shownu finally opened the shop, and began explaining the kind of things he sold. Kihyun looked impressed but Jooheon had heard this plenty of times before, so he stood by the door in case a customer walked in so he could tell them the shop was actually closed.

As Shownu took his place behind the counter, Jooheon and Kihyun moved to different aisles, each stocking up on the things they needed. While Jooheon was looking at canvases, Kihyun picked up a few baking items- the man was a master baker and took orders sometimes, so he needed good equipment. He also sneaked a look at Shownu every now and then, too shy to be forward but too curious not to wonder.

If Shownu noticed, he didn't say a word. Instead, he beckoned to Jooheon once the latter had just about finished looking around, and brought out a wrapped parcel.

"This is for you," he said, offering it to Jooheon who looked confused. "I know you don't have much time to read books but this one is about art and time and it's in English so I thought you might like it." Sometimes Jooheon thought Shownu could read minds- he never said a single thing to him but the older man  _knew_  everythingjust the same. 

"Thanks, hyung. In return, I'll give you Kihyun's number since you're lonely and he can't keep his eyes off you," said Jooheon, waggling his eyes comically as Shownu blushed. Punching in the number and simply saving it as "Kihyun", Jooheon handed the phone back to Shownu and went to find the boy in demand, who was currently battling a bunch of canvases that were threatening to collapse on his head from a higher shelf.

After helping to put the canvases back and paying at the counter for their things (Shownu gave Kihyun a discount), the two were ready to leave. In a sudden fit of bravery, Kihyun asked Shownu, "C-could I get your number? Just in case I need to come back, so I don't have to bother Jooheon again!" he hastily added. Shownu only pulled out his phone to tap on Kihyun's contact, smiling when he saw Kihyun's phone ring to the smaller boy's surprise and embarrassment. "I asked Jooheon for it already. You know, just in case you come back," he said, chuckling with Jooheon at Kihyun's tomato-red face.

The two then left the store, leaving Shownu to lock up and head back home. Kihyun peeled off after some time towards his apartment, leaving Jooheon to enjoy the sudden cold for two minutes until he, too, reached his flat.

Welcoming the warmth of his tiny apartment, Jooheon chucked off his shoes and head straight to the kitchen to make hot chocolate. It was a drink he loved as a child and brought that love with him growing up. He found that hot chocolate was better warmth than a lit cigarette anyway- a familiar calmness compared to the weak flame of a moment.

The same could be said about Jooheon's love life. He was drawn towards the familiar even though the exciting, the dangerous, were just steps away. Jooheon was not unattractive; far from it, in fact. His soft tousled hair, dimples sinking into cheeks and eyes that disappeared when he broke into a delightful smile were things that attracted a lot of people to him. Friends, potential lovers- and Wang Jia Er.

Jooheon didn't know why he suddenly thought of that boy, but something about the nip in the air and the drink he just made reminded him. Of all the things Jooheon threw out of his life because they reminded him of Jia Er, he couldn't let go of his love for hot chocolate and winter- that would just be throwing himself away, wouldn't it?

He got back up with his blanket and went to the seat by the living-room window, one that he and Minhyuk had installed only a month or so ago. It showed him one of his favourite views- a small street with dim lighting punctuated by leaves drawing patterns onto the tar. The evening was turning into golden-blonde haziness, like Jia Er's hair on that one day.

\---

Jooheon had met Jia Er on a day not unlike this one, but at a different spot. It was half-past 4 on a supremely cold but beautiful October day, which just happened to be Jooheon's birthday. Said boy ran up the stairs to the library, huffing from the cold and rubbing his hands together until he reached the main desk. He quickly scrawled his name in the register-  _Lee Jooheon, 4:37, English Collective-_  and swiped his card too- the mix of traditional and modern was a strange quality of this library that only attracted him more. A Christmas-morning feeling overcame the boy as he hurried through the shelves before stopping at the one he was going to tear through today-  _The Classics._  Rows upon rows of Dickens, Eliot, Milton, Bronte, Fitzgerald looked on as Jooheon climbed the rickety ladder to the third shelf, pulling out a Dickens and coming back down with the book reverently in his hands only to face-

"Really? Dickens over Fitzgerald?" a short guy in a leather jacket said, smirking at Jooheon who was first confused then annoyed. "It's for a paper and I need to look at Victorian England and-" Jooheon stopped when he realised he didn't have to explain himself to this strange blonde dude anyway, and tried to sidestep him. He failed. 

The stranger took the tattered  _Oliver Twist_  from Jooheon's hands- holding it in the same reverent fashion- and climbed up the ladder, putting the book back in and sliding another one out. He handed it to Jooheon and brushed off the dust from his hands, saying "Try this-  _Bleak House_. Not really one of the most recommended Dickens' novels but one of his finest works, I think. Either way, it would help you with your paper. But do try a Fitzgerald someday."

By the time Jooheon found his tongue, the blonde-haired boy had walked away. He quickly flipped through the book and found that hey, it really would be helpful for his paper- more helpful than Oliver Twist would've been. Having found what he came for, he turned to go but quickly plucked  _The Great Gatsby_  out of the second shelf, more to see what this boy was harping on about than anything else.

He made his way to the check-out counter, getting into line behind a girl with rainbow hair and a lanky boy with a mullet and a single earring speaking to the librarian. He heard a high-pitched giggle emanate from the latter and looked up to see it was the same snarky blonde dude. Such a sweet sound from a rude boy? Jooheon snorted. Finally, Mullet Boy left and so did the girl, leaving Jooheon to plop his books on the counter and hand over his library card while trying not to meet the blonde boy's eyes. The latter smiled when he saw the Fitzgerald but only said "good choice" while scanning it in.

Jooheon let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and put the newly-issued books into his tote bag. He said a half-hearted "thank you" to the boy and turned to go but the other held something out to him. It was a card with his phone number. "You can, you know, text or something if you want to discuss dear Fitz here- I'm sure you'll want to," he added with a grin. Jooheon rolled his eyes and was about to say no when the blonde guy added, "If you text I'll let you borrow a book extra next time. Also, my name is Jia Er- thanks for asking. Not." Now Jooheon was tempted, in spite of this Jia Er's sass. He nodded, adding "I'm Jooheon. Thanks," and quickly walking away from the counter towards the exit, combat boots sounding satisfying against the wooden floor.

\--

The air had gotten colder in Jooheon's apartment while he was lost in his thoughts. Shivering, he switched on the radiator and shuffled back to the sofa with his blanket, picking up the worn copy of  _The Great Gatsby_  that was always on the side table. It was the same library copy- Jia Er told him at a later time that he had reported the book as 'lost' immediately after Jooheon left the library that day, allowing the younger boy to keep it for good. A sweet gesture that showed no inkling of what was to come.

Curling into the couch, Jooheon opened the tattered novel, brushed the cobwebs from his mind, and began to read from a spot he'd marked a long time ago in a fit of melancholy- "Can’t repeat the past?… Why of course you can!"

* * *

 

Since I can't link this in the notes- come say hi on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/spilling-over)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like I owed you guys an explanation PLUS some more background info so this is just a filler sort of chapter!! Also you guys PLEASE can we talk about these PHOTOS  
> http://forljh.tumblr.com/post/180458494966/joogyeol-do-not-edit-123


	16. woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: physical and mental abuse

At the same time, on the other side of the city, a sudden glow lit up the balcony garden of a west-facing apartment. Against the brilliant hues of the sunset, Minhyuk stood to full height, grimacing in his uncomfortable kilt- as beautiful as Scotland was, he wasn't very excited to be stuck in their traditional clothes right now.

The balcony door slid open suddenly, and a woman stepped out with clothes folded in her outstretched arms. Minhyuk silently took the clothes, following the woman into the apartment and changing in one of the small rooms into the jeans and white shirt she'd given him. Pulling on fresh socks and slipping his feet into soft slippers, he made his way back into the main area, sitting a little gingerly on the edge of the couch.

The woman came in from the kitchen with a steaming bowl of ramen, humming happily. "Glad you're back," she sing-songed, setting the bowl in front of Minhyuk and watching him devour it with a soft smile on her face.

She moved to brush his hair away from his eyes but shot back when he stiffened. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you don't like that," she mumbled. Minhyuk felt bad, and shot her a half-smile, adding, "It's okay, Iseul. You can do it if you want to." He didn't add that it reminded him of Jooheon, but clenched his eyes shut when she softly brushed his hair, now a silvery grey shade.

"You've changed your hair colour? That's nice. Did you just glow yourself into a salon and startle the heck out of them?" she laughed. Minhyuk snorted. If only she knew why his hair colour had changed. But Iseul only knew that he time travelled by virtue of having been added into his timeline- she didn't know anything else. Default knowledge, that was all. She didn't know his hair colour changed every time he lost someone. 

He looked up at her- she looked the same, obviously because humans didn't change in a span of a day. Plain brown hair ended at her shoulders and framed her face, which was pale and unblemished. Her eyes glittered as she returned his gaze, hazel with occasional yellow flecks dancing around. She wore no makeup and was dressed in her standard at-home outfit- Adidas trackpants and an oversized tee. She was pretty, Minhyuk realised. Plain, pretty, sweet. And yet she couldn't hold a candle to Jooheon.

But Minhyuk had to stop thinking about him. Jooheon had forgotten about him, and so Minhyuk would have to let him go, and turn his attention to Iseul, who thought Minhyuk had been there all her life- well, her married life, Minhyuk remembered, looking at their matching wedding rings. 

"Have you eaten?" he asked her now. She nodded, and sat down next to him, looking as if she'd want to lean her head against his shoulder but was second-guessing it. Minhyuk didn't know if it was because of some nugget of information the other time traveller had added, or because she really could sense the awkwardness in the air. Whatever it was, Minhyuk was okay with it, because he wasn't ready to get close physically just yet. 

Instead, he pulled the throw blanket over her and himself, taking care to maintain some distance between their warm bodies. He picked up the remote and turned the TV on, mindlessly surfing until he found a show she had told him she liked, satisfied when she nodded in approval and settled into the comfortable couch to watch. 

As the TV droned on in the background, Minhyuk's thoughts drifted. 

He thought of the one time he'd met Jooheon, when Jia Er was still around. 

At this point in time, him and Jooheon were... friends. They had gone for a few drinks together more than once, but neither had visited the other's house- well, Minhyuk couldn't because he didn't have one, but Jooheon did. The younger boy had invited Minhyuk, too, but had backed off after seeing the uncertainty in his eyes. It's not that Minhyuk didn't want to go- he did, he dearly did.

But with Jooheon, things were never as they seemed and feelings blurred into each other in Minhyuk's heart and mind like the swirls of paint Jooheon created in his tiny studio. The cerulean blue of a familiar comfort, the yellow-ochre of a mellow warmth and the bright scarlet of an underlying fire Minhyuk tried his best to suppress. And sap green- a seeping shade of envy that entered the colour palette every time Jia Er was mentioned. Or seen, like on that day Minhyuk suddenly appeared in front of Jooheon's door, mercifully dressed in a decent shirt and trousers.

\--

Not knowing what to do, Minhyuk stood outside the door, silently cursing the fate that decided to make a decision for him and dropped him smack in front of Jooheon's flat. 

It didn't help that he could hear small whimpers coming out of the flat.  _Did Jooheon get a puppy?_

Since he couldn't stay outside all day and he didn't have anywhere else to go, Minhyuk readied himself and knocked on the door.

Silence fell suddenly and Minhyuk was suddenly tense. The door finally opened a crack, to reveal a single eye. The eye widened and looked around then the door fully opened to reveal Jooheon, fearful and sporting a massive bruise on his forearm.

Minhyuk gasped softly but was ushered in by Jooheon who locked the door like someone was after his skin. He pushed Minhyuk into his wardrobe, whispering a quick "stay here, don't come out!" and shutting the door tight. Just then, the sounds of the water running died down, and the bathroom door opened. Minhyuk could see a shadow through the slits in the closet door. He sat as still as he could while pressing his ear to the door. Something didn't seem right.

Outside, a drawling voice was steadily growing fainter as it moved away from the bathroom. "Come here, Jooheon," the voice sounded kindly, but Jooheon's answering whimper was scary. "I don't want to hurt you, Jooheon. I don't like to do it. Can't you understand? I do this because I care for you, but you, you make me so angry sometimes." the voice had turned frustrated. "I know," Jooheon said, his submissive voice shattering Minhyuk's heart. "That's good, honey. My honey," the man cooed. "Now tell me, where's your first aid box?" Minhyuk presumed Jooheon showed him, because a shadow moved towards the cabinet and back to Jooheon in half a minute. "Now I'll dress this up nice and tidy for you, okay? You have to take care of yourself, Joo. I can't be there to discipline you every time."

Minhyuk's blood ran cold.  _Discipline?_  He managed to open the closet door open just a crack and saw a blonde-haired man bending over Jooheon's arm as the latter closed his eyes so tight it was probably painful. 

The blonde man was wrapping a bandage around the gash ever so gently, his silver bracelets clinking against each other. After he finished, he tucked all the ointments back into place, moving to keep the box back but not before pressing a soft kiss against Jooheon's temple. A tear seeped from Jooheon's closed eyelid, but at the same time he angled his head towards the older man for another, which he got.

He got busy cleaning up the place with his one good hand, not allowing his eyes to rest on the closet Minhyuk was hidden in. The man walked back out, and said "Jooheon, I have to go back to the library now. Will you be okay on your own?" Jooheon nodded and, to Minhyuk's surprise, moved to hug the older boy. "You're so sweet to me, Jooheon," Minhyuk could hear the man say into Jooheon's hair. They let go, Jooheon opening the door for the man and saying "Bye, Jia Er," before softly shutting the door and half-running back to the closet.

Minhyuk burst out the second Jooheon opened the door, and grabbed his arm. "What did he do to you?" he asked, harsh voice making Jooheon flinch out of surprise before pulling back.

"He didn't do this, Minhyuk, I swear," Jooheon pleaded. "We were having an- an argument and I backed into the drawer I had left open. Sharp edges." He gestured at the offending drawer which, Minhyuk could see, was still open.

He sighed, part relieved that Jooheon hadn't been hit but also worried about what he had heard earlier. "Jooheon, what did he mean by 'discipline'?"

The younger boy's head hung impossibly low, and he mumbled into his chest, "I went out to see a friend and he got jealous so he came to shout at me."

Minhyuk was working himself up into a frenzy and he knew it but he didn't care at this point. "Jooheon, why are you still letting this man in? This is not good for you! Where is your sense of self-preservation? He's yelling at you for fuck's sake, enough to make you upset and fearful and-"

"You're yelling at me too, Minhyuk." The latter stopped in his tracks, realising, and shut his mouth for a second before opening it again to say, "Jooheon, please tell me there's something more to this that I can't understand? Please tell me you're not actually letting him do this to you?"

Jooheon was indignant. "I'm not  _letting_  him do anything to me, Minhyuk." He started speaking faster, as if getting the words out quicker would convince the other. "Jia Er has had... issues in his childhood that made him this way. I don't know what but I know that this is wrong so don't you for a second think I'm allowing him to do things to me, or that he's forcing me to do... well, anything. I want to help him. He was my friend, Minhyuk. We were friends," his voice cracked.  

Minhyuk wanted to hug the younger boy but knew it was too soon, so he gently placed a hand on his back and guided him to the sofa. They sat together, neither saying a word nor making a move to do anything, both feeding off the other's warmth. Both knew a line had been crossed but they didn't know what it would entail. For now, they were happy to sit in silence, Jooheon silently moving to hold Minhyuk's slender hand.

\--

Iseul had dozed off, head lolling uncomfortably on the couch. The damn TV was still on. Minhyuk got off the sofa, turned the TV off and moved to pick Iseul up and take her to her room. He couldn't do it. Instead, he lay her down on the couch and tucked the throw in. The night was silent, the tree branches moving in a symphony that could sound like the sea, only Minhyuk had never been so he didn't know. He went back to the balcony, slightly cold, bundled his long limbs into the one chair lying around and dozed off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I've been really swamped but I hope you like this update! As for my other fanfic, I'm taking a break because I don't know where I'm going with the story from here. Hopefully these updates make up for that :)


	17. *not a chapter*

Hi guys, this isn't an update- just popping in here to shamelessly plug my fanart tumblr and instagram!! I'd love if you could go have a look at it and leave an ask/ a couple likes if you enjoy my work!

Here's the tumblr link: [Spilling Over](http://www.spilling-over.tumblr.com) and Instagram link: [Digitiary ](http://www.instagram.com/digitiary)(I've just started it so it's looking a bit empty lol)

And if you want to see my latest work (spoiler: it's Jooheon) then click [here](https://spilling-over.tumblr.com/post/181140668663/lee-jooheon-roman-this-was-supposed-to-be-an)!

Will be back soon with an update on this story but till then, I hope to see you guys on social media, DMs always open <hugs>


	18. orange

Jooheon was sat in Hoseok's apartment, absent-mindedly fiddling with the fake flowers the older boy had put out on the table. "I had a date," he had supplied upon being questioned, but said nothing more.

Jooheon had still not explained the 'trick' they played on Minhyuk, but Hoseok knew better to ask. That's not to say he hadn't tried, but the answering look was so anguished he shut up instantly. Hoseok hadn't seen Jooheon like this very often. In fact, they had only become friends a month or two ago, after Hoseok knocked at Jooheon's door for some salt to find Kihyun- Hoseok's friend first- opening it with a look of surprise. He had heard stories, of Minhyuk and his mysterious travels, of Jooheon and his recluse self, and of his past. But he never asked. He just supported the boy however he could- baking cookies, calling him and Kihyun for dinner, buying him new paintbrushes. 

Half an hour ago, he'd texted Jooheon to come over for lunch- ramen as usual, but Jooheon still came, looking drained. Dark circles graced his face and his brown hair was tied up in a half ponytail without having been so much as brushed. However, the customary paint stains on his pants were missing, which in other circumstances would be good but in this one was distressing- Jooheon hadn't been painting. He'd lost his only muse. 

As Hoseok hummed in the kitchen, putting some sort of ramen dish together, Jooheon padded in, looking at the stove and making a face. "It's a work in progress," Hoseok laughed. "Pray it progresses better," Jooheon replied, swiping an orange from the fruit basket and deftly peeling it, allowing the citrusy scent to overpower the spicy fragrance of the ramen in the small kitchen. 

Popping one into his mouth, he watched Hoseok as the older boy expertly tossed ramen, muscles popping in his sleeveless shirt.

"Hyung, do you believe in time travel?" He asked, out of the blue. Hoseok stopped tossing for a split second, then continued, carefully saying, "I'd need you to explain that for me, Jooheon."

The younger boy picked up bowls and plates from the counter, busying himself with setting the table so he wouldn't have to look at his friend. "Well, like someone who can go to different times and places, and mess with people's timelines if he wanted to, and has probably known you since you were a child?" He trailed off, realizing how stupid he must be sounding.

But Hoseok didn't crack even a smile. "I think it's possible, Joo," he said directly, turning to look at the younger. "But I also think that it's something we should leave alone because it really is beyond our grasp, as much as we think we know it well."

"But you think time travellers are real?" Jooheon asked, a tad hopefully. Hoseok hesitated, not knowing where this conversation was going, but he briefly nodded before getting back to his ramen-making.

"Thanks Hyung, I thought I was being naive, believing in fairytales," Jooheon said softly, and Hoseok pretended not to hear it.

Instead, he transferred the piping hot ramen into two bowls, quickly ushering Jooheon to sit and pick up chopsticks. They slurped away for a while, Hoseok being hungry from his morning workout and Jooheon from not having eating anything since the night before.

Hoseok breached the silence, once again carefully choosing his words. "It's a difficult thing, time travel. To belong to everywhere and nowhere all at once. And to be able to take no one with you. It's not something we can understand." He paused here to spoon some more ramen into Jooheon's bowl and then continued, "Did you know that there exist some time travellers who can add and remove things from people's timelines?" Jooheon nodded, chopsticks slowing down. "There's this old geezer who said to fix that, you can remove a significant other or some such sort. But if you remove the significant other, they forget the time traveller, but the time traveller remembers them. So really, how much of yourself can you remove?"

At this point, Jooheon was paying full attention, allowing his precious ramen to cool down and go soggy before him. "How do you know so much about this Hyung?" To this, Hoseok smiled. "My philosophy class took a wild turn one day and we ended up discussing this. But it's interesting, isn't it? You're never really gone. There's a bond that links you two together, especially if that time traveller- by some strange coincidence- likes you. Because you're changing their life, their emotions, you've become a constant..." Hoseok went on to explain something about dynamics and lines, but at this point Jooheon was fully preoccupied.

If the time traveller likes you? Did that mean Minhyuk would come back by default? Obviously that depended on if Minhyuk liked Jooheon, and to what extent, but maybe, just maybe, there was a chance?

His ears pricked once again at what Hoseok was saying this time. "There are two really interesting theories I came across the other day," the older boy said between slurps. "If a time traveller has changed your timeline, presumably your past has changed too, to make sure your memories are, well, consistent with your current timeline. So, if someone does try to balance out the timeline like this Gartner dude said, it won't work if you still remember the person because that means the past hasn't been changed. Alternatively, it means a new universe has been created featuring that person whose been added. 

"Long story short, this guy's full of shit," Hoseok concluded with a flourish of his chopsticks, swear word echoing in the small space as Jooheon stared in shock and then broke into a smile. 

For the first time in days, the sun seemed a little brighter, colours that much more vivid, and Jooheon that much more hopeful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back you guys!! I'm not sure if you missed this story or not, but I've been sitting on this update for weeks on end because life caught up with me real quick. I hope this eases you back into the story :)


	19. universal

Jooheon sat up in bed suddenly, not knowing what time it was. Pulling the curtains aside from where he was perched on his bed, he saw the sky was still dark. He shrugged off his blanket, padding out of the studio and into the hall to look at the illuminated wall clock Kihyun had given him as a housewarming present. 05:30 AM. It was Jooheon’s birthday.

The birthday boy turned around to crawl back into bed, but suddenly felt the hair rise at the back of his neck. _Was there someone in the apartment?_

He took a quick glance around in the poor lighting, but nothing was amiss. Yet he felt like he wasn’t the only person in the little flat. On the way back to his room, he took a butter knife from the island- he’d sooner use a pen knife or pepper spray against the intruder but beggars couldn’t be choosers, he surmised.

He crawled back between his covers, slapping himself lightly to shake off the strange feeling, and went to sleep.

When he woke again, it was a little past 8 on the clock, and the apartment was as empty as ever. Jooheon scoffed- so much for his butter knife bravado.

He left the studio and went to the island but froze in his spot.

There, in the centre of the little counter, exactly where he’d picked up the butter knife earlier, was a massive bouquet of flowers.

Now Jooheon was no stranger to receiving flowers, but finding them in his _locked_ apartment in the wee hours of morning was something he really was a stranger to.

He went to the bouquet, careful not to touch any of the flowers as he removed a card from between them.

“Time passes but you’re always in my heart.”

Apart from the message, the card was unsigned. The message itself was typed, so Jooheon couldn’t figure anything out from the handwriting. The flowers themselves looked harmless enough, though, and pretty- orchids, his favourite- so he carefully unwrapped them and padded across to put them in a vase.

He arranged them on his little centre table that doubled up as a dining table, and stepped back to admire his handiwork. Better than Hoseok’s flowers at least, he mused, even though they didn’t come from a date.

He turned his thoughts to who might have sent them, and moved to check the lock on the front door. It was as sturdy as ever, and looked untouched, yet someone had entered his apartment- they must have had a key.

_Minhyuk_.

Jooheon’s heart raced. Had he come back? He hadn’t left anything else behind, if he had. He broke out of his reverie when his phone rang, and he picked it up to see it was Changkyun calling.

“Hyung,” the younger boy’s voice boomed. “Happy birthday, are you now 80 years old? Or was it 81? I forget.” His laugh echoed through the phone and Jooheon couldn’t help giggling as well. “You’re up early kid,” he said in response. “I am, actually. I was wondering if there’s something you wanted to do for your birthday.”

Jooheon thought for a bit, shook his head then realised Changkyun couldn’t see him, so he said “not really.” “In that case, do you want to head to Universal World in a bit? It’s been a while since I went and you could call a couple of your friends too, and I’ll call mine.” Jooheon actually thought that sounded very nice.

He told Changkyun he’d ask his friends and call him back, and hung up. Knowing Hoseok would still be asleep, he called him instead of texting, smiling at the groggy voice that sounded a “whadduyuwant” on the other end.

After outlining the plan to him and getting grudging approval, he called Kihyun and Shownu, once again asking them the same thing but receiving enthusiastic replies this time, Kihyun no doubt swayed by the fact that Shownu was coming.

He made his way to the closet, pulling out a black hoodie with chain details and some skinny jeans. Reaching deep into his closet, he pulled out a brand-new pair of AF1s. If there ever was an AF1 enthusiast, it was Jooheon. These shoes were a pleasing coral pink but bright enough to avoid him getting ragged by Kihyun for always wearing neutral colours.

He threw a few basics into his backpack- sunscreen, sunglasses, an extra pair of jeans and boxers in case someone (aka Changkyun) threw him into some water body.

At 10, he was out the door, having nibbled on a few muffins to keep him till lunchtime. His usual melancholy was somewhat overshadowed by excitement and anticipation, since it had been a while since all his friends had got to gather like this- well, his _and_ Changkyun’s friends.

He was met at the bus stop by a still sleepy Hoseok, a blushing shy version of Kihyun and Shownu with his easy smile.

They hopped onto a bus that would take them to Changkyun’s house, Jooheon quickly making introductions between Hoseok and Shownu, who were close in age and muscle, it would appear. He slyly sat next to Hoseok to “talk to him about the apartment’s plumbing”, leaving pink-faced Kihyun to sit next to Shownu. Hoseok waggled his eyebrows in approval and grinned.

A good few minutes of inane conversation later, and they had arrived at the bus stop near Changkyun’s house.

Grinning at the other three’s dropped jaws at the sight of the posh area, Jooheon led them down a tree-lined avenue to the very end of the street, where Changkyun’s house perched.

He signed in at the front gate and entered, ringing the high-tech bell beside the door and said his name into the speakerphone. Almost instantly, the automatic oak doors opened, and Jooheon ushered the boys into Changkyun’s massive foyer.

The boy himself looked almost rudely plain in contrast, in a white hoodie and ripped jeans. His hair was grey and tousled, as if in defiance of the beautiful but stiff oil paintings that lined the hallway behind him.

He gave Jooheon a hug and ushered his friends in, excitedly chattering to them about the days plans until Jooheon stopped him and said to introduce himself.

“Oh right, hi everyone, my name’s Changkyun and I’m almost Jooheon’s age and welcome to my house and what are your names?” theyounger boy asked in the span of a single breath, causing smiles to break out on all faces as they introduced themselves in turn.

“Nice to meet all of you. Today’s gunna be epic,” Changkyun said confidently, heading towards a winding staircase and taking it two steps at a time with the others in tow.

His room was uncharacteristically clean, save for a massive bundle of clothes on the bed that moved when Changkyun prodded it, to reveal a messy-haired Hyungwon.

“What! I didn’t know you knew Changkyun!” Kihyun bellowed, moving forward to smack his friend on the shoulder and drag him up. Now smiling, Hyungwon waved at Jooheon and winked at a blushing Hoseok, who didn’t know where to look, and then turned to Shownu.

“I’ve met the others but not you. I’m Hyungwon, also known as DJ H.ONE if you’re into EDM,” he smiled, holding a hand out. Shownu took it firmly, smiling back and saying, “I’m Hyunwoo, Shownu if you prefer, I’m probably the oldest in this room and don’t know squat about EDM so Hyungwon is what I’ll stick to, sorry.” 

That got a laugh out of Hyungwon, who said “I have lots to teach you,” before moving to Hoseok’s side as the others watched.

Sharp little Changkyun instantly realised what was happening and said, “Jooheon hyung, two double dates and then there’s the two of us. We’re the last of our lot,” he finished ruefully, slinging his arm around Jooheon’s waist and leading everyone back downstairs now that Hyungwon was all roused.

A massive SUV was waiting for them in the driveway after they exited the heavy oak main doors. A man in a suit stepped out of the car, quietly slipping the key to Changkyun and giving him a bow before walking away.

“Right,” Changkyun said, turning to the rest. “Which one of you can drive because I certainly can’t!” The boys looked at each other in confusion, before simultaneously looking at Shownu, who heaved a sigh and took the keys from the smaller boy’s outstretched hand.

Changkyun grinned happily and bagged shot gun, opening the passenger door and plopping down on the luxurious seats. The others filed in to the back, Wonho and Hyungwon entering first to sit at the back, leaving Jooheon to fix the convertor seat back down and sit in the middle with Kihyun.

The boys chattered all the way, but at one point Jooheon sunk back into the seats and looked out, thoughts redirected to what was on his table this morning.

_Was it Minhyuk?_ He wondered. Only Minhyuk knew he liked orchids, much less flowers- except Jia Er, but that was out of the question anyway.

He fished out his phone and thumbed at the message icon before realising Minhyuk didn’t have a phone. He put the phone back, sighing a bit too loud and prompting Kihyun to turn away from the raucous conversation behind them to ask softly, “Hey, are you okay? You haven’t said a word.”

Jooheon smiled at his friend and nodded, mouthing an “I’m fine” for added measure. Kihyun smiled back, full wattage, before beginning to root around in his humungous backpack for something. “In that case,” he said, voice muffled by the fact that half his head was in the bag, “I think I’ll give you your present now.” He re-emerged with a neatly wrapped box in his hand.

“It’s not much,” he said awkwardly, handing the box to Jooheon, “But after so many years of friendship I’ve exhausted my presents list.”

Jooheon began pulling the wrapper off, as neatly as possible under Kihyun’s strict eye, until a smaller box appeared in his hands.

He opened it. He could feel tears stinging his eyes as he gingerly lifted the silver necklace out of the velvety cloth, the morning light reflecting off the shiny metal wrought into a beaten four leaf clover. “For all the luck you’ll ever need,” he heard Kihyun say softly, and moved to hug his friend who was equally blurry-eyed.

“Hey are we doing presents?! Neat!” Changkyun yelled from the front seat, plucking something _big_ out of his bag and scrambling on the seat to his knees as Shownu grunted in annoyance.

“Here’s mine, Jooheon, open it now!” He said, tossing the package to Jooheon and grinning expectantly. The latter chuckled and unwrapped the hastily wrapped box to find his mouth hanging open and all his friends going “whoa” behind him.

Changkyun had got him a full, limited edition artist’s set of oil paints. The exact same ones he’d seen on his favourite artist’s channel a few days ago. The ones that cost 300 dollars. Stunned, he looked up at Changkyun, who shrugged a bit sheepishly.

“I saw you watching his videos one day. And you’ve-you’ve been my friend for so long that-so-“ Jooheon reached up for a high five to save Changkyun, who wasn’t very good at expressing his emotions, especially the kind that he felt for his best friend who’d been with him through thick and thin. “Thanks, Changkyunnie,” he smiled as he received the high five. “Now my present looks like shit,” Kihyun gasped from the side seat, but Jooheon saw him look at Changkyun approvingly, and his heart melted just a little more.

Two more presents plopped into his lap from behind. Hyungwon had given him a backstage pass to one of his gigs- “sorry it’s not more personal,” he said by way of explanation, but Jooheon thanked him profusely. Hoseok had bought him a sleek navy blue satin bomber jacket, quite similar to the one he was currently wearing, “so you can get rid of that godforsaken yellow hoodie” he added, rolling his eyes dramatically.

Shownu hadn’t taken his eyes off the road so far, piping up only to add, “I’ll give you mine later Jooheon, for now I’ll just try not to kill all of you”, drawing sniggers from everyone.

Soon enough, they reached the massive amusement park. Falling out of the SUV one after the other, they made their way to the entrance, quickly buying tickets and taking a customary selfie before entering and making their way to the rides.

Eight hours later, the boys regrouped, Hyungwon clutching at his heart dramatically after the Viking ride and Jooheon feeling equally faint because of the haunted house. Shownu and Changkyun were already close in a father-son way, the younger beagle-like boy running ahead while the older grumbled about child leashes and banning coffee.

They went straight to the car, extremely hungry but not wanting to spend hard-earned money on the overpriced food at the park. Jooheon told them all to just come to his flat because he didn’t want the day to end, and they agreed happily, Changkyun clamouring for Shownu to stop at a liquor store to stock up, which he did.

They finally pulled into Jooheon’s parking lot- empty, because he didn’t own a car- and made their way into the death trap they called a lift, bottles clinking as each one of them prayed for safe passage to Jooheon’s floor.

They audibly sighed as they made it safely, tumbling through the narrow front door and plopping onto various seat-able areas in the small living room, Changkyun choosing the floor.

Jooheon walked to the kitchen to bring out glasses for the alcohol, Shownu in tow. The older boy leaned against the counter as Jooheon opened and shut cabinets, before stopping him to say, “hey before we all get too smashed, here’s your present.” He held out a slim silver envelope. Jooheon took it and slit it open to pull out a gift voucher from Shownu’s art store and another, delicate paper.

The voucher was for 50 dollars’ worth of art supplies and Jooheon gladly hugged his friend because he knew how precious every penny was to him. Curiously, he fingered the delicate paper, blank except for the word “Signature” followed by a line.

“What’s this?” He asked Shownu, who smiled before replying, “You know the art centre downtown? They’re holding a massive art exhibition and want art stores to represent themselves. Winner gets 600 dollars,” he finished, and Jooheon let out a low whistle. “But what’s that got to do with this, hyung?” He asked.

Here Shownu’s smile softened just as his hand ruffled his hair awkwardly. “Well, if you sign, well, I can print over it saying- saying that you’ll be displaying your work. We want you to represent us.”

The raucous din behind him pretty much faded away at his words. “You want Jooheon to display his art?” Hoseok asked carefully, looking from one to the other. Kihyun stayed silent but his eyes betrayed his worry as he looked piercingly at Jooheon.

“I know it might be hard,” Shownu said, carefully watching Jooheon’s expression. It remained stoic, nary a flicker. “But I think Jooheon has talent the world deserves to know about.”

“I’m not sure if you know,” Hoseok interrupted, “why Jooheon might not want to do it?”

Showny turned his steady gaze on Hoseok, who stepped back in spite of himself. “I know what I know, and I also know that Jooheon deserves every bit of the success he is entitled to get.”

Hoseok gave Shownu a look, but then nodded in mute agreement and sat back down.

Jooheon let out a big sigh. He could feel everyone’s tense gazes on him, but for some reason he wasn’t feeling the panic he used to feel at the mere thought of art centres and exhibitions, after the 'incident' took place.

He smiled to ease the tension, and said to Shownu, “I’ll hold on to this.” Shownu’s face turned ecstatic but Jooheon raised a hand and said firmly, “That doesn’t mean I’ll do it. It just means I’ll think about it.” Shownu nodded, still as ecstatic, because deep inside he feared Jooheon would’ve given him a flat ‘no’, and this was better than the answer he could’ve ever hoped for.

Jooheon clapped the older boy on the back and turned to the others, now relieved, waving a hand at the glasses and drinks and saying, “Go all out, guys.”

One by one they scrambled up to get their drink of choice, throwing Jooheon a smile as they went, Hoseok a pat on the butt. The birthday boy himself grabbed a beer for himself and Shownu and plonked down on the sofa.

At the same time, a shadow passed over the wall from the window, as a male figure walked passed the streetlight, but Jooheon paid no mind to it. He felt content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like where this is going guys!! I'm going to try and do a lot of writing this weekend so I can post regularly both here and on my other ff Click, so lets see how that goes :)


	20. flowers

A loud groan filled the room as Jooheon moved to get out from underneath Hoseok’s body. The latter had drunk more than he could handle the previous night and as a result, was almost a dead body that groaned occasionally.

As Jooheon, stumbled to his feet, he saw his friends all around him, slumped over chairs and couches and the coffee table (Changkyun of course). His head was pounding, but no nausea and no vomiting meant a tablet would set him right. He padded to the medicine cabinet, rooting around for a pill and dropping it into a glass of clean water. As he waited for the fizz to cool, he saw Kihyun getting to his feet, looking pretty shitty but not as bad as Jooheon. He rooted around for a pill too, anyway.

As they downed the medicated water, Kihyun surveyed the room, pursing his lips in disgust. “Are you feeling okay, Jooheon?“ When the latter nodded, he added, “then let’s clean up this place before any one gets up.” Jooheon nodded again, allowing the more clear-headed Kihyun to take the wheel.   
Together they picked up empty bottles and paper plates, throwing them into a rubbish bag. Jooheon set out to wash as many dishes as he could, wincing every time he set a plate down too hard because it sent a sharp pain through his head. Kihyun on the other hand was briskly picking things up from the floor, even flipping Changkyun over to get at the Cheetos packet he was facedown in.

When all the rubbish was bagged, they threw on jackets to go to the back trashcans, Kihyun making sure Jooheon had the key. One hellish elevator ride later, they were down and around the back of the building, Kihyun striding ahead against the cool wind while Jooheon struggled, whining at Kihyun to slow down.

Kihyun did more than slow down- he stopped in his tracks, and Jooheon rammed straight into him. “Hey what the hell?” He complained, straightening the garbage bag and looking over Kihyun’s shoulder to see what stopped him.

_Minhyuk._

Jooheon’s heart was racing. The older boy was looking at Kihyun, not Jooheon, but his eyes were mellow and his grey hair now completely black. He looked much younger, but still so breathtaking, even in his plain t-shirt and jeans.

“Kihyun,” he sounded, each syllable musical. “Can you please give me and Jooheon a minute?” Said boy gave Jooheon a meaningful look, then nodded and dumped the garbage back before doubling back on himself, mumbling “stay strong” to Jooheon as he left.

It was all Jooheon could do to not run into Minhyuk’s arms right then and there. He remembered his little trick, however, so with a heavy heart he put his garbage bag down, folded his arms and said: “you again. Why are you near my building?”

Minhyuk’s jaw tightened, but his hand carded through his black hair in frustration. “I realise you don’t remember me, Jooheon. Will it suffice for now if I said I’m somebody that you used to know?”

Jooheon nodded, tight-lipped. “In that case,” Minhyuk said, rooting around in his pocket, “please take this. Happy birthday, Jooheon-ah,” he finished softly, handing a small white box to Jooheon, who took it out of curiosity and opened it.

Inside, a beautiful gold necklace nestled in black fabric as velvety as Minhyuk’s hair. The pendant was a wishbone, wrought beautifully out of the metal, catching the sun’s light as Jooheon held it up, amazed. He suddenly remembered himself, and shut the box with a snap and handing it back to Minhyuk, who looked baffled.

“Thanks for the wishes, but I’d rather not take this from you.” The confusion turned to a sadness in Minhyuk’s eyes that _shattered_ his heart, but the older boy took the box back all the same. Jooheon took a deep breath, and said, “Please leave, before I call the police. Goodbye, Lee Minhyuk.”

He turned around, but Minhyuk spoke, and he froze.

“I never told you what my last name is.”

All at once, Jooheon’s resolve crumbled. As his hands formed into fists, he felt hot tears running down his face, heat against the skin cooled by winter’s wind. He tried to pull himself together, but a sob came, then another, until Jooheon was fully crying, messy tears mingling with snot and intense pain in his heart.

Two slender arms wrapped around his waist from behind, bringing with them the scent of musk and love, and a face buried itself into the crook of Jooheon’s neck, black hair tickling his jawline.

“I know you remember me,” Minhyuk said softly. “I know you read a book that told you to try all these things, to keep me safe and happy, to set the timeline right. What made you think I’d ever be happy without you, Jooheon?” Said boy only bawled harder and the arms around his waist tightened protectively before turning his body around.

“You do remember me,” he continued, moving to take Jooheon’s face in his hands. “We’re too tangled up in each other’s timelines to ever be fully removed. The first time, by your door, when you said you didn’t remember me, I-I freaked out. I thought it was the time traveller who actually messed our timelines up. But I still remembered you. I remembered where you lived, what you looked like, what you smelt like, day after day after day. I realised what had happened in the end. I just wanted you to realise too.” At this he pressed a soft kiss onto Jooheon’s runny nose and asked, “You remember, right?” Jooheon nodded, trying to smile between his tears, a broken laugh emanating from his mouth when Minhyuk pressed another kiss onto his forehead this time.

“Of course you’d remember. How could you not, when I love you so much?” Jooheon froze, his eyes slowly raising to meet Minhyuk’s soft ones. The latter smiled gently. “Yeah, I said that. I should’ve said that a long time ago. I should’ve done many things a long time ago, but I didn’t, so please allow me to do them now.” Fresh tears leaked out of Jooheon’s eyelids as he savoured the words Minhyuk said to him, finally, after so so long. He was all choked up and couldn’t reply though, so he buried his face into Minhyuk’s chest, sniffling occasionally and mentally apologising to the taller boy for wiping snot on his t-shirt. “I suppose it’s pointless for me to ask you this now after spilling my big secret, but… Jooheon, can I call you my boyfriend?” The younger boy nodded into his chest, and Minhyuk chuckled, a protective hand moving to pat the younger boy’s head softly.

They stood like that for a while, a gentle but cool breeze ruffling Minhyuk’s hair, goosepimpling the skin on his arms as they lay bare to the elements. He bore it for sometime, then gently said, “Jooheon? Can I come upstairs? I’d love to stay here a bit longer but I’m fucking freezing.” Jooheon laughed at the curse, removing himself from Minhyuk’s warm embrace and taking him by the hand instead to lead him upstairs.

At the front door, Jooheon warned Minhyuk, “there’s a lot of bodies on the floor,” to which the latter nodded in some confusion, then realisation when the door was opened.

Some of the bodies were getting up now, heaving off the floor and some into the toilet. Jooheon rolled his eyes, taking off his jacket and putting it on the hook before clapping loudly, looking smug at the winces that followed.

“Attention everyone,” he called grandly, before feeling embarrassed as Minhyuk snickered behind him. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet. This is Minhyuk,” he said, gesturing at Minhyuk, who gave him a fond glance, “my- uh-my boyfriend.”

Kihyun let out a ‘woot!’ from where he was in the kitchen, mouthing “atta boy” at Minhyuk before turning back to monitor the sausages he was frying. Shownu stumbled to his feet, giving Jooheon a hug and and nodding sagely when asked “Man, are you still drunk?” Hoseok called from where he was on the floor of the bathroom, “wait, you guys weren’t together all this while?” before retching and disappearing from view. Changkyun and Hyungwon were still out cold, so Jooheon thought he’d tell them later.

“Whoever wants breakfast, come to the island or stay hungry!” Kihyun hollered, as the scent of sausages and eggs filled the room. Shownu, Jooheon, Minhyuk and a whining Hoseok sat at the island and there was silence for a few minutes as they wolfed the food down.

In half an hour, Kihyun was shepherding everyone out of the flat, telling them they’re “too dead to be fun anyway, so may as well be dead in your own homes.” Jooheon knew he was doing it so he could get time with Minhyuk and he was very grateful. After helping Hoseok to his flat, plopping him on the bed and locking the door, Jooheon hugged Kihyun goodbye as the latter held up Shownu and Hyungwon held up Changkyun.

He entered the flat. Minhyuk was still seated at the island, absent-mindedly picking at the cracks on the surface. He looked up as Jooheon approached, smiling, and removed the white box from earlier out of his pocket. “Figured you might want this now,” he said. Jooheon smiled back and picked up the white box, pulling the necklace out and silently fastening it around his neck. Then he said, “thanks for the flowers” Just as Minhyuk said “who were the flowers from?” Both boys froze, eyes moving to the offending flowers and the card still between the stalks. Minhyuk moved first to remove it, turning it around before looking back at Jooheon. “I didn’t send these, I- I didn’t. I had a flower postal service for you once, but I cancelled that after that one scam, remember?” Jooheon nodded.

Minhyuk continued, “How did you get these? On your doorstep?” “No, they were on the island when I woke up. I read the message and I thought it was you, and I know only you have the spare key.”

At this Minhyuk looked grim. “Yeah I have the key here,” he said, patting his chest where the key lay on a chain around his neck, “but I haven’t come by your building at all, let alone inside your flat.” He got to his feet and walked to the main door. Putting a spare coat on and tying up his laces, he said “I’m going to get a locksmith to change your locks. For now, stay inside, keep a weapon nearby. I’m uneasy leaving you here but it’s better than the person coming inside when we’re both gone.”

He strode out of the main door, said “go to Hoseok’s if you’re scared” and flew down the stairs. Jooheon shut the door, all of a sudden very scared and hyper-aware of everything. He took a meat knife from the drawer and sat on the couch in the living room. There was nothing but silence though and slowly, he dozed off.

His eyes opened to clicks on the door. _Was Minhyuk back already?_ “Is that you, Minhyuk?” He called rather groggily. The door swung open.

“Happy belated birthday, Jooheon. I hope you liked the flowers,” said Jia Er.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well well, look where we are in the story! I'm not sure how long it's going to go on for, truly. But we shall see. Till then, wait for the next update ;)


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